Comparative Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Bonded Nd-Fe-B Magnets: Virgin Production versus Recycling

Conducting a comprehensive analysis of life cycle assessment and life cycle cost is critical for quantifying environmental impacts and estimating production costs associated with new production methods. Therefore, the life cycle assessment and life cycle cost of 1 kg bonded Nd-Fe-B magnetic powder produced by different production methods from “cradle to gate” are studied in this study. The results indicate that recycling is more advantageous than direct production in both environmental and economic terms. Specifically, the endpoint impact categories for 1 kg of bonded Nd-Fe-B powder produced by various methods reveal that recycling and regeneration reduce the environmental impact by 42%, 41%, and 42% compared to direct production in the categories of Human Health, Ecosystem Diversity, and Resource Availability, respectively. Additionally, in terms of life cycle cost, recycling yields savings of 47% and 32% compared to direct production in the internal and external life cycle cost, respectively. The results demonstrate that the environmentally friendly and cost-reducing method of recycling and regeneration points out a pathway for transforming the industrial structure of bonded Nd-Fe-B magnetic powder.