A simple and industrially scalable process for recycling hexaferrite ceramic magnets

• Wet milling reduces particle size below 2 µm for optimized magnetic performance. • Annealing at 900°C improves morphology and coercivity. • Recycled bonded magnets exhibit H cj of 190.1 kA/m and J r of 234.3 mT, which are properties comparable to commercial alternatives. • This constitutes a proof-of-concept for a viable and competitive recycling of ferrite magnets. The demand for hexaferrite (BaFe 12 O 19 /SrFe 12 O 19 ) permanent magnets is expected to rise in the next 5-10 years due to their potential as a sustainable alternative to rare-earth magnets. Currently, less than 1% of recycling of permanent magnets occurs worldwide. This study presents a successful method for recycling strontium ferrite magnets from end-of-life household appliances, fabricating recycled bonded magnets as a first step to implement a circular economy in the value chain. This industrially scalable method optimizes comminution and annealing of recovered ceramic magnets, yielding powders with particle sizes below 2 µm. Thermal treatment at 900-1000 °C recovers competitive magnetic properties. A pilot batch of recycled hexaferrite bonded magnets, produced via injection moulding, exhibited excellent mechanical and magnetic properties, with coercivity H cj of 190.1 kA/m, remanent polarization J r of 234.3 mT, and maximum energy product ( BH ) max of 10.4 kJ/m³, comparable to commercial ferrite bonded magnets.