Date of Award

Fall 12-12-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Metallurgical/Mineral Processing Engineering

Department

Metallurgy

Committee Chair

Courtney Young

First Advisor

Hsin-Hsiung Huang

Second Advisor

Thomas Camm

Abstract

Rare earth elements (REEs) are indispensable, high-value resources that play a crucial role in renewable energy, defense systems and advanced technological systems. REEs are commonly extracted from natural ores or recycled materials such as permanent magnets using hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical techniques. In hydrometallurgy, the REE source is leached with acid, followed by solvent extraction and precipitation steps to obtain rare earth compounds like oxides and fluorides. Pyrometallurgy involves dissolving rare earth compounds in a molten halide bath, followed by high-temperature electrolysis to convert them into metals, which are then recovered at the cathode. This process typically includes melting, refining, and electrochemical reduction steps conducted under elevated temperatures to efficiently produce pure rare earth metals for industrial use. Previous research showed neodymium metal production can be accomplished with molten-salt electrolysis using fluoride baths. This work is continued with a focus on using NdF3 produced in another study (Cobbinah, 2025) by examining the effect of chloride. This research focuses on the recovery of neodymium metal through molten-salt electrolysis. A novel approach is employed, combining potential (E)-pO2- diagrams with electrowinning techniques to optimize neodymium extraction. Additionally, the process includes chlorinating neodymium oxide using ammonium chloride to produce neodymium chloride, which serves as the feedstock for the electrolysis. This integrated method enables efficient and precise recovery of high-purity neodymium metal.

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