Techno-Economic Assessment of a Novel Continuous Hot-Roll Process for Manufacturing Nanograin NdFeB Magnets

Rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs) play a pivotal role in clean energy technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines. However, their reliance on critical materials like dysprosium presents supply risks. This study introduces an innovative manufacturing approach for nanograin NdFeB magnets using a continuous hot-roll deformation process. This method has the potential to eliminate the need for dysprosium, reducing costs and material criticality. A techno-economic assessment (TEA) evaluates the economic feasibility of the proposed approach relative to conventional methods. The novel process amalgamates densification and texture development into a continuous, rapid heating and cooling method, minimizing grain growth. The TEA reveals that for an annual production of 100 metric tons of magnets, the novel method yields profits of $1.31M annually versus losses of $14.15M and $2.51M for conventional sintering and hot-press hot-deformation approaches respectively. Over a 20-year lifespan, the net present value is $21.60M using an 8% discount rate. The price-performance ratio is 10.86 × 103 $/m3/MGOe, which is better than the benchmark for commercial viability. Overall, the hot-roll approach streamlines production, enhances properties, eliminates waste, and improves economics, offering advantages over conventional manufacturing process chains.