Liquid metal extraction (LME), a pyrometallurgical recycling method, is popular owing to its negligible environmental impact. LME mainly targets rare-earth permanent magnets having several rare-earth elements. Mg is used as a solvent metal for LME because of its selective and eminent reactivity with rare-earth elements in magnets. Several studies concerning the formation of Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds and their effects on LME using Mg exist. However, methods for reducing these compounds are unavailable. Fe reacts more strongly with B than with Dy; B addition can be a reducing method for Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds owing to the formation of Fe₂B, which takes Fe from Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds. The FeB alloy is an adequate additive for the decomposition of Fe₂B. To accomplish the former process, Mg must convey B to a permanent magnet during the decomposition of the FeB alloy. Here, the effect of Mg on the transfer of B from FeB to permanent magnet is observed through microstructural and phase analyses. Through microstructural and phase analysis, it is confirmed that FeB is converted to Fe₂B upon B transfer, owing to Mg. Finally, the transfer effect of Mg is confirmed, and the possibility of reducing Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds during LME is suggested.

Rare earth elements, which are important components of motors, are in high demand and thus constantly get more expensive. This tendency is driven by the growth of the electric vehicle market, as well as environmental issues associated with rare-earth metal manufacturing. TC 298 of the ISO manages standardization in the areas of rare-earth recycling, measurement, and sustainability. Korea, a resource-poor country, is working on international standardization projects that focus on recycling and encouraging the domestic adoption of international standards. ITU-T has previously issued recommendations regarding the recycling of rare-earth metals from e-waste. ISO TC 298 expands on the previous recommendations and standards for promoting the recycling industry. Recycling-related rare earth standards and drafts covered by ISO TC 298, as well as Korea’s strategies, are reviewed and discussed in this article.

Rare earth magnets with excellent magnetic properties are indispensable in the electric device, wind turbine, and e-mobility industries. The demand for the development of eco-friendly recycling techniques has increased to realize sustainable green technology, and the supply of rare earth resources, which are critical for the production of permanent magnets, are limited. Liquid metal extraction (LME), which is a type of pyrometallurgical recycling, is known to selectively extract the metal forms of rare earth elements. Although several studies have been carried out on the formation of intermetallic compounds and oxides, the effect of oxide formation on the extraction efficiency in the LME process remains unknown. In this study, microstructural and phase analyses are conducted to confirm the oxidation behavior of magnets pulverized by a jaw crusher. The LME process is performed with pulverized scrap, and extraction percentages are calculated to confirm the effect of the oxide phases on the extraction of Dy during the reaction. During the LME p rocess, Nd i s completely e xtracted a fter 6 h, w hile D y remains as D y₂Fe₁₇ and Dy-oxide. Because the decomposition rate of Dy₂Fe₁₇ is faster than the reduction rate of Dy-oxide, the importance of controlling Dy-oxide on Dy extraction is confirmed.

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• Influence of Dysprosium Compounds on the Extraction Behavior of Dy from Nd-Dy-Fe-B Magnet Using Liquid Magnesium
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A well-established characterization method is required in powder bed fusion (PBF) metal additive manufacturing, where metal powder is used. The characterization methods from the traditional powder metallurgy process are still being used. However, it is necessary to develop advanced methods of property evaluation with the advances in additive manufacturing technology. In this article, the characterization methods of powders for metal PBF are reviewed, and the recent research trends are introduced. Standardization status and specifications for metal powder for the PBF process which published by the ISO, ASTM, and MPIF are also covered. The establishment of powder characterization methods are expected to contribute to the metal powder industry and the advancement of additive manufacturing technology through the creation of related databases.

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• Rheological Characteristic Analysis Methods and Tests of Metal Powders for PBF Additive Manufacturing
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  Korean Journal of Metals and Materials.2023; 61(7): 534.     CrossRef
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  Materials & Design.2022; 223: 111247.     CrossRef

Powder characteristics, such as density, size, shape, thermal properties, and surface area, are of significant importance in the powder bed fusion (PBF) process. The powder required is exclusive for an efficient PBF process. In this study, the particle size distribution suitable for the powder bed fusion process was derived by modeling the PBF product using simulation software (GeoDict). The modeling was carried out by layering sintered powder with a large particle size distribution, with 50 μm being the largest particle size. The results of the simulation showed that the porosity decreased when the mean particle size of the powder was reduced or the standard deviation increased. The particle size distribution of prepared titanium powder by the atomization process was also studied. This study is expected to offer direction for studies related to powder production for additive manufacturing.

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Since the ISO decided to deal with rare-earth elements at the 298^th Technical Committee (TC) in 2015, Korea has participated in four plenary meetings and proposed four standards as of June 2019. The status of ISO TC 298, the standards covered by the TC, and the standardization strategies of Korea are summarized. Korean delegations are actively engaged in WG2, which deals with recycling, proposing four standards for fostering the rare-earth recycling industry. However, the participation of domestic experts is still low compared with the increase in the number of working groups and the number of standards in TC 298. The aim of this article is to summarize the current status of ISO international standards related to rare-earth elements, to encourage relevant experts to participate in standardization, and to develop international standards that accurately reflect the realities of the industry.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are considered to be vital to modern industry due to their important roles in applications such as permanent magnets, automobile production, displays, and many more. The imbalance between demand and supply of REEs can be solved by recycling processes. Regarding the needs of industry and society, the International Organization for Standardization, Technical Committee 298 (ISO/TC298) Rare Earths has been recently launched for developing international standards on rare earth elements. In accordance with the suggestion of its constituents, it is tentatively working to develop the appropriate standards under five working groups (WG) on terms and definitions (WG1), element recycling (WG2), environmental stewardship (WG3), packaging, labelling, marking, transport, and storage (WG4), and testing analysis (WG5). The scope and structure of ISO/TC298 on the topic of rare earths is discussed in this document.

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Cu-Fe alloys (CFAs) are much anticipated for use in electrical contacts, magnetic recorders, and sensors. The low cost of Fe has inspired the investigation of these alloys as possible replacements for high-cost Cu-Nb and Cu-Ag alloys. Here, alloys of Cu and Fe having compositions of Cu_100-xFe_x (x = 10, 30, and 50 wt.%) are prepared by gas atomization and characterized microstructurally and structurally based on composition and powder size with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Grain sizes and Fe-rich particle sizes are measured and relationships among composition, powder size, and grain size are established. Same-sized powders of different compositions yield different microstructures, as do differently sized powders of equal composition. No atomic-level alloying is observed in the CFAs under the experimental conditions.

In this study, we optimized dissolution the dissolution conditions of porous amorphous powder to have high specific surface area. Porous metallic glass(MG) granules were fabricated by selective phase dissolution, in which brass is removed from a composite powder consisting of MG and 40 vol.% brass. Dissolution was achieved through various concentrations of H₂SO₄ and HNO₃, with HNO₃ proving to have the faster reaction kinetics. Porous powders were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry to observe crystallization behavior. The Microstructure of milled powder and dissolved powder was analyzed by scanning electron microscope. To check for residual in the dissolved powder after dissolution, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscory and elemental mapping was conducted. It was confirmed that the MG/brass composite powder dissolved in 10% HNO₃ produced a porous MG granule with a relatively high specific surface area of 19.60 m²/g. This proved to be the optimum dissolution condition in which both a porous internal granule structure and amorphous phase were maintained. Consequently, porous MG granules were effectively fabricated and applications of such structures can be expanded.

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• Enhanced wear resistivity of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass processed by high-pressure torsion under reciprocating dry conditions
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  Metals and Materials International.2016; 22(3): 383.     CrossRef

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• Micro-deformation behavior of Brittle Hf-based Metallic Glass during Mechanical Milling
  Song-Yi Kim, A-Young Lee, Eun-Ji Cha, Do-Hun Kwon, Sung-Uk Hong, Min-Woo Lee, Hwi-Jun Kim, Min-Ha Lee
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2018; 25(3): 246.     CrossRef
• Synthesis of Ni-based Metallic Glass Composite Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering
  Song Yi Kim, Bo Kyeong Guem, Min Ha Lee, Bum Sung Kim
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