Supporting Information for Life C

Life Cycle Assessment of Neodymium-Iron-

Hongyue Jina, Peter Afiunyb, Stephen Dove

a
School of Industrial Engineering,
b
Urban Mining Company, Suite 15
c
Environmental and Ecological Eng
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 1-765

Contact Information
Hongyue Jin
Peter Afiuny
Stephen Dove
Gojmir Furlan
Miha Zakotnik
Yuehwern Yih
Jon W. Sutherland

Number of sheets: 3
ormation for Life Cycle Inventory of NdFeB Magnet Virgin Production

Neodymium-Iron-Boron Magnet-to-Magnet Recycling for Electric Vehicle Motors

ter Afiunyb, Stephen Doveb, Gojmir Furlanb, Miha Zakotnikb, Yuehwern Yiha, John  Sutherlandc,* 

of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, 315 N Grant St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Mining Company, Suite 150, 8201 East Riverside Drive, Austin, TX, 78744, USA 
mental and Ecological Engineering, Purdue University, Potter Engineering Center, Rm 364, 500 Central Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907,
ponding author. Tel.: 1-765-496-9697. E-mail: jwsuther@purdue.edu

jin156@purdue.edu
peter@urbanminingco.com
stephen@urbanminingco.com
gojmir@urbanminingco.com
miha@urbanminingco.com
yih@purdue.edu
jwsuther@purdue.edu

of sheets: 3
st Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
 Life Cycle Inventory for Strip
Unit LCI (for 1kg of sintered magnets)
Products Amount Unit
Sintered NdFeB magnet 1 kg

Avoided products

Resources Amount
Water, unspecified natural origin/m3 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005

Materials/fuels Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best)

Iron pellet {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U 0.787 0.743 0.704
Neodymium metal 0.212 0.200 0.189
Praseodymium metal 0.054 0.051 0.048
Dysprosium metal 0.072 0.068 0.065
Gallium, semiconductor-grade {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U 0.002 0.002 0.002
Boron carbide {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U 0.012 0.011 0.011
Cobalt {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U 0.033 0.032 0.030
Copper {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U 0.002 0.002 0.002
Aluminium oxide {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U 0.001 0.001 0.001
Hydrogen, liquid {RoW}| hydrogen cracking, APME | Alloc Def, U 0.005 0.005 0.005

Electricity/heat Amount
Electricity, medium voltage, at grid, Texas/US US-EI U 4.617 4.617 4.617
Electricity, medium voltage, at grid, Texas/US US-EI U 16.299 15.393 14.583

Emissions to air

Emissions to water

Emissions to soil

Final waste flows

Non material emissions

Social issues

Economic issues

Waste to treatment Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best)

Sludge, pig iron production {CH}| treatment of, residual material lan 0.176 0.111 0.053
Input parameters

Calculated parameters
Inventory for Strip Casting~Sintering
intered magnets) Final LCI (for 1kg of final NdFeB magnets)
Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit
2.57142587142857 1.63636363636364 1.2000012 kg

Unit LCI (worst) LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit

m3 0.001 0.001 0.001 m3

Unit
kg 2.023 1.216 0.845 kg
kg 0.545 0.327 0.227 kg
kg 0.139 0.084 0.058 kg
kg 0.186 0.112 0.078 kg
kg 0.006 0.004 0.003 kg
kg 0.031 0.019 0.013 kg
kg 0.086 0.052 0.036 kg
kg 0.005 0.003 0.002 kg
kg 0.004 0.002 0.002 kg
kg 0.013 0.008 0.005 kg

Unit LCI (worst) LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit

kWh 11.872 7.555 5.540 kWh
kWh 41.911 25.189 17.500 kWh

Unit LCI (worst) LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit

kg 0.454 0.182 0.063 kg
Allocation%
100

Data
1. Source B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the productio
Sprecher,
2. Urban Mining Company

Urban
3. Mining
Arshi, P. S.; Company,
Vahidi, E.;TX, USA
Zhao, F. Behind the Scenes of Clean Energy – A Life Cycle Analysis of Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors.
4. Arshi,
3. Urban P.
Mining
S.; Vahidi, E.; Zhao, F. Behind the Scenes of Clean Energy – A Life Cycle Analysis of Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors.
4. Arshi,
3. Urban P.
Mining Company
S.; Vahidi, E.; Zhao, F. Behind the Scenes of Clean Energy – A Life Cycle Analysis of Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors.
4. Urban Mining Company
3. Arshi, P. S.; Vahidi, E.; Zhao, F. Behind the Scenes of Clean Energy – A Life Cycle Analysis of Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors.
4. Urban Mining Company
Urban Mining Company, TX, USA
Urban Mining Company, TX, USA
Urban Mining Company, TX, USA
Urban
1. Mining
Sprecher, B.,Company,
Xiao, Y., TX, USAA., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the productio
Walton,
2. Urban Mining Company

Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science &

Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2017, Submitted.
Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2017, Submitted.
Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2017, Submitted.
Rare Earth Magnets and Phosphors. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2017, Submitted.

Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science &
magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.

magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.

 Life Cycle Inventory

1. Products
Nickel coating, electroplated

Avoided products

Resources
Water, process, unspecified natural origin/m3

Materials/fuels
Chemical, organic {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U
Sulfuric acid {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U
Sodium hydroxide, without water, in 50% solution state {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U
Soda ash, dense {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U
Nickel, 99.5% {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U
Sodium phosphate {GLO}| market for | Alloc Def, U

Electricity/heat
Electricity, medium voltage, at grid, Texas/US US-EI U

Emissions to air
Nickel (Emissions to air)

Emissions to water
Borate (Emissions to water)
Nickel, ion (Emissions to water)
Nickel subsulfide (Emissions to water)
Waste water/m3 (Emissions to water)
Sodium saccharin (Emissions to water)

Emissions to soil

Final waste flows

Non material emissions

Social issues

Economic issues

Waste to treatment

Input parameters

Calculated parameters

2. Products
NdFeB magnet

Avoided products
Resources

Materials/fuels
Sintered NdFeB magnet
Nickel coating, electroplated

Electricity/heat
Electricity, medium voltage, at grid, Texas/US US-EI U

Emissions to air

Emissions to water

Emissions to soil

Final waste flows

Sludge, pig iron production {CH}| treatment of, residual material landfill | Alloc Def, U
Non material emissions

Social issues

Economic issues

Waste to treatment

Input parameters

Calculated parameters
 Life Cycle Inventory for Grinding, Electroplating, Magnetization
Unit LCI (for 1 m2 of nickel coating) Final LCI (for 1kg of f
Amount Unit Allocation% Amount
1 m2 100 0.068

Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit LCI (worst)

0.026 0.021 0.016 m3 0.002

Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit LCI (worst)

0.0024 0.0024 0.0024 kg 1.6E-04
0.0184 0.0184 0.0184 kg 1.3E-03
0.005 0.005 0.005 kg 3.4E-04
0.001 0.001 0.001 kg 6.8E-05
1.735 1.5675 1.4 kg 0.118
0.002 0.002 0.002 kg 1.4E-04

Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit LCI (worst)

9.131 7.9845 6.838 kWh 0.621

Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit LCI (worst)

0.000076 0.000066 0.000056 kg 5.2E-06

Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit LCI (worst)

0.003 0.003 0.003 kg 2.0E-04
0.000026 0.000021 0.000016 kg 1.8E-06
0.001 0.001 0.001 kg 6.8E-05
0.013 0.0105 0.008 m3 8.8E-04
0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 kg 3.4E-05

Unit LCI (for 1kg of shaped magnets+coating) Final LCI (for 1kg of f
Amount Unit Allocation% Amount
1 kg 100 1
Amount (worst) Amount (base) Amount (best) Unit LCI (worst)
2.8571398571429 1.818181818182 1.333334666667 kg 2.571
0.068 0.068 0.068 m2 0.068

1.6477366255144 1.4 1.152263374486 kWh 1.483

1.8571398571429 0.818181818182 0.333334666667 kg 1.671

 Final LCI (for 1kg of final NdFeB magnets)
Unit Allocation%
m2 100

LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit Data Source B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
2. Sprecher,
0.001 0.001 m3 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit 2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
1.6E-04 1.6E-04 kg 3. Sprecher,
2. Urban Mining Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
1.3E-03 1.3E-03 kg 3. Sprecher,
2. Urban Mining Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
3.4E-04 3.4E-04 kg 3. Sprecher,
2. Urban Mining Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
6.8E-05 6.8E-05 kg 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA
2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
0.107 0.095 kg 3.
2. Urban Mining
Sprecher, Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
1.4E-04 1.4E-04 kg 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit 2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
0.543 0.465 kWh 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit 2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
4.5E-06 3.8E-06 kg 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit 2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
2.0E-04 2.0E-04 kg 3.
2. Urban Mining
Sprecher, Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
1.4E-06 1.1E-06 kg 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA
2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
6.8E-05 6.8E-05 kg 3. Sprecher,
2. Urban Mining Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
7.1E-04 5.4E-04 m3 3. Sprecher,
2. Urban Mining Company,
B., Xiao, TX, USA
Y., Walton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
3.4E-05 3.4E-05 kg 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

Final LCI (for 1kg of final NdFeB magnets) Data Source

Unit Allocation%
kg 100
LCI (base) LCI (best) Unit Urban Mining
2. Sprecher, B.,Company,
Xiao, Y., TX, USAA., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
Walton,
1.636 1.200 kg 3.
2. Sprecher, B., Xiao, Y., Walton,USA
Urban Mining Company, TX, A., Speight, J., Harris, R.,
0.068 0.068 m2 3. Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

1.260 1.037 kWh Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

0.736 0.300 kg Urban Mining Company, TX, USA

alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA

alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA

alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA

alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA

alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
alton, A., Speight, J., Harris, R., Kleijn, R., ... & Kramer, G. J. (2014). Life cycle inventory of the production of rare earths and the subsequent produc
TX, USA
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.

re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.

re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.

re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.

re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
re earths and the subsequent production of NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. Environmental science & technology, 48(7), 3951-3958.
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