China is increasingly restricting exports of rare earths – metals essential to the manufacture of electronic components – while the United States is adopting an innovative approach: the mass recycling of used hard drives.
An ingenious initiative to circumvent dependence on China
China has dominated the extraction and processing of rare earths for years. In response to growing trade tensions, it has imposed export restrictions on several crucial metals, putting a strain on the global supply chain.
To address this shortfall, Western Digital has announced a hard drive recycling programme in collaboration with CMR (Critical Materials Recycling) and PedalPoint Recycling. The aim is to extract rare earth oxides such as disprosium, neodymium and praseodymium, as well as aluminium, copper, gold and palladium.
Local, efficient and clean recycling
The hard disks come mainly from Microsoft’s data centres. After sorting and dismantling, the magnetic elements are sent to CMR, which uses an innovative “acid-free dissolution” technology. This process, which uses copper salts for selective leaching, produces up to 99.5% pure oxides, without the use of corrosive chemicals.
The process is also much more environmentally friendly than conventional mining, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 95%.
An underestimated source of technology
Although hard disks are lagging behind SSDs in personal computers, they are still very present in cloud infrastructures. With an average lifespan of 3 to 5 years, millions of units become usable electronic waste every year. Western Digital claims to have already recycled more than 21 tonnes of equipment.
Other start-ups, such as HyProMag and Cyclic Materials, are also moving into this promising niche. However, it should be noted that only certain rare metals such as disprosium are actually present in significant quantities in these disks.
With this strategy, the United States is attempting to reduce its dependence on China while promoting a more sustainable circular economy. A telling example of technological ingenuity at the service of industrial sovereignty.