On 17 September 2025, MAGELLAN’s research was featured at the SAE International Conference on Engines & Vehicles for Sustainable Transport (ICE2025) in Capri, Italy, through a paper co-authored by IFP Energies Nouvelles, Orano, CEA, Lomartov, and CRF, titled “Development of European High-Performance Permanent Magnets for Automotive Traction Electric Motors Incorporating Short-Loop Recycled Rare Earth”.
The presentation by Misa Milosavljevic (IFP Energies Nouvelles) and Etienne Fourcy (Orano) disseminated key research results from MAGELLAN’s work on developing and validating high-performance permanent magnets containing 25% recycled rare earth materials. It compared two manufacturing routes, the conventional powder metallurgy process and Powder Injection Moulding (PIM) enabling near-net-shape magnets with reduced waste and enhanced design flexibility. Both approaches demonstrated the feasibility of integrating recycled feedstock while achieving magnetic properties close to automotive-grade standards.
To assess their real-world relevance, MAGELLAN partners also presented digital twin simulations of an electric traction motor, comparing performance between reference magnets and those including recycled content, manufactured either through the conventional route or the PIM route. The results confirm that magnets containing recycled material can deliver comparable efficiency and torque, with PIM showing additional . potential through optimised rotor design.
The dissemination further covered MAGELLAN’s life cycle assessment (LCA) estimations, which revealed notable reductions in environmental impact – including lower CO₂ emissions per motor – demonstrating the benefits of short-loop recycling. Overall, the work illustrated how combining advanced manufacturing, circular design, and life cycle thinking contributes to Europe’s efforts to meet the Critical Raw Materials Act target of 25% recycled content for critical components.
