MLZ scientist honored

Dr. Iaroslav Meleshenkovskii has received the 2024 Young Scientist Award of the International Committee on Activation Analysis at the 16th International Conference on Modern Trends in Activation Analysis (MTAA-16) for his research on recycling rare magnets.

The prize was presented to Dr. Iaroslav Meleshenkovskii (2nd from right) by Prof. Amares Chatt, Dalhousie University, Canada, Chair of the JRNC Committee for the Hevesy Prize and Chair of HMASP-2023, Prof. Elisabete A. De Nadai Fernandes, CENA, Brazil, laureate of the Hevesy Medal 2024 and Dr. Zsolt Révay, Instrumentation Officer of the PGAA at FRM II, TUM, Chairman of the MTAA-16 Conference and Editor-in-Chief of the JRNC (from left). © Csengele Hajdu

The prize was presented to Dr. Iaroslav Meleshenkovskii (2nd from right) by Prof. Amares Chatt, Dalhousie University, Canada, Chair of the JRNC Committee for the Hevesy Prize and Chair of HMASP-2023, Prof. Elisabete A. De Nadai Fernandes, CENA, Brazil, laureate of the Hevesy Medal 2024 and Dr. Zsolt Révay, Instrumentation Officer of the PGAA at FRM II, TUM, Chairman of the MTAA-16 Conference and Editor-in-Chief of the JRNC (from left). © Csengele Hajdu

With this award, the jury, for the first time, recognizes outstanding contributions and early career achievements in nuclear analytical techniques in research and applied studies. Dr. Meleshenkovskii received the award, according to the jury, „in recognition of his accomplishments in fast-neutron-induced analytical techniques for the characterization of magnetic materials“ as part of his GNeuS post-doctoral position at Forschungszentrum Jülich at MLZ.

Rare-earth magnets are critical raw materials
Rare-earth magnets, such as NdFeB, are used in manufacturing smartphones and electric vehicles, as well as for components in wind power and aerospace. Their recycling is of strategic importance for Europe. The rare-earth elements (REE), such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and dysprosium (Dy) present in NdFeB magnets, are classified together with 37 other elements and nine substances as critical raw materials (CRMs) by the European Commission because they are economically and strategically important and scarce.

Recycling of magnets
The European Critical Raw Materials Act proposes measures to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of CRMs, including recycling. Efficient recycling first requires sorting of magnets according to their type (ferrite, SmCo, AlNiCo, NFeB, etc.) and their rare-earth element content. Such a task requires a suitable method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the magnetic material waste streams. This represents a new challenge on an industrial scale; as such, an analysis must be carried out non-destructively and quickly on bulk, dense material.

Fast-neutron-based non-destructive analysis
Dr. Meleshenkovskii’s research at Forschungszentrum Jülich as part of the EU project MAGFAST (MSCA GNeuS COFUND funding) is dedicated to the development of a fast-neutron-based method for the rapid non-destructive characterization of such rare-earth magnets concerning their recycling for industrial applications.

Principle proven with neutrons
The solution: Prompt gamma analysis based on inelastic neutron scattering (PGAINS). This allows the elemental composition of permanent magnets to be determined quickly. This method measures the element-specific gamma radiation induced by the inelastic scattering of fast neutrons, i.e., (n,n’γ) reactions. The proof of principle of PGAINS has been demonstrated with the FaNGaS (Fast Neutron-induced Gamma-ray Spectrometry) instrument installed at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) using the intense fission neutron beam delivered by the beam tube SR 10 of the FRM II reactor (Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz).