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Neodymium Production Processes

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Abstract

This overview describes the major processes for rare earth metals production, including chloride electrolysis for producing cerium, lanthanum and misch metal; oxide electrolysis for producing neodymium metal and its alloys; calciothermic reduction for producing neodymium commercially; a reduction-diffusion process for making powders of SmCO5; and a co-reduction process for producing powders of rare earth metal alloys. A new molten salt extraction process, “NE0CHEM,” has been developed by which neodymium metal or its alloys can be produced by the reduction of Nd203, with sodium in the presence of CaCl2 by the reaction Nd2O3 + 3 CaCl2 + 6 Na → 2 Nd + 3 CaO + 6 NaCl. In comparison to existing processes, the proposed process holds great promise toward lowering the cost of neodymium.

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Authors
  1. Ram A. Sharma
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Ram A. Sharma received his Ph.D. in chemical metallurgy from London University’s Imperial College of Science and Technology. He is currently a staff research scientist in the Electrochemistry Department of General Motors Research Laboratories in Warren, Michigan. Dr. Sharma is also a member of TMS.

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Sharma, R.A. Neodymium Production Processes. JOM 39, 33–37 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03259468

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03259468

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