APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOVERING RARE EARTH METAL

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process of recovering rare earth metals which enables not only extraction of rare earth metals from a rare earth magnet with molten magnesium and separation of a remaining Fe-B alloy but separation of rare earth metals and magnesium from magnesium containing the extracted rare earth metals and also executes decarbonization of rare earth metals.SOLUTION: A rare earth metal recovery apparatus is provided with a reactor 101b (lower part) for extraction of rare earth metals and a reactor 101a (upper part) for recovery of magnesium, and molten liquid magnesium is caused to extract rare earth metals from a magnet 10 containing rare earth metals in the rare earth metal extraction reactor with the inside surface made of tantalum, the remaining magnet after extraction of rare earth metals and liquid magnesium dissolved with rare earth metals are separated with e.g. a tantalum-made net 104. The rare earth metals and magnesium are recovered by evaporating magnesium from the separated liquid magnesium containing rare earth metals to transfer the magnesium to the reactor (upper part).