Neodymium Production Processes

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.