Working since 2017 with Waseda University of Tokyo, Nissan says he has developed and recently began to test a new recycling process that represents a more efficient and cost-effective way to recover metals from the rare earth from electric motors.

The process itself involves heating a motor used at 1,400 degrees Celsius (approximately 2,552 degrees Fahrenheit) so that it melts. Then, the company adds an iron oxide to the mixture to oxidate the metals of the rare earth, followed by a borate-based flow. The last substance causes the melt mixture to be separated into two liquid layers, with the metals of the rare earth floating at the top of the mixture where they can be easily removed.

In the tests, Nissan affirms that it has been able to recover 98 percent of the elements of the rare earth of an engine using the new recycling process. The whole procedure also takes approximately half of half the time that manually dismantles an engine, which is currently Nissan currently to recycle the metals of the rare earth. The company expects to implement the process in the mid-2020.

If we have an opportunity to address the climate crisis, finding new and innovative ways to recycle and reuse the metals of the Rare Earth will be vital. The 17 minerals that make up the rare earth group are critical to make electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. A 2018 study of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure found a shortage of metals of the Rare Earth, it is likely to limit the world’s ability to comply with the emission reduction targets established by the Paris Climate Agreement.