In this study, hydroxyapatite-B2O3-La2O3 composites (with ? 20 wt.%B2O3 and ? 2 wt.% La2O3) were synthesized via wet precipitation method and calcined at 1100?C for 1 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the existence of the pure hydroxyapatite (HA) phase with high crystallinity. Characteristic absorption bands of HA were also observed in Fourier transform infrared spectra. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated that the addition of B2O3 and La2O3 into HA enhanced the particle growth. Mechanical properties of the composites were studied by diametral tensile test and the results showed that incorporation of 10 wt.% B2O3 and 2 wt.% La2O3 led to a 39% increase in tensile strength (compared to the pure HA). In vitro cytocompatibility of HA-B2O3-La2O3 composites was investigated using Osteosarcoma Cell Lines (Saos-2). Incorporation of B2O3 and La2O3 into HA had no toxic effect towards the cells. Based on its tensile strength properties and biological response, composite of 88 wt.% HA, 10 wt.% B2O3 and 2 wt.% La2O3 was suggested as a promising composite for bone tissue engineering applications.

The green transition initiatives and exploitation of renewable energy sources require the sustainable development of rare earth (RE)-based permanent magnets prominent technologies like wind turbine generators and electric vehicles. The recycling of RE-based permanent magnets is necessary for the future supply of critical rare-earth elements. The short-loop recycling strategies to directly reprocess Nd-Fe-B magnet waste are economically attractive and practical alternatives to conventional hydro- and pyrometallurgical processes. This study focuses on the development of a procedure to extract the (Nd, Pr)₂Fe₁₄B hard-magnetic phase from sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets. The extraction is achieved through preferential chemical leaching of the secondary, RE-rich phases using 1 M citric acid. Before the acid treatment, the magnets were pulverized through hydrogen decrepitation (HD) to increase the material’s surface-to-volume ratio. The as-pulverized Nd-Fe-B powder was subsequently exposed to a 1 M citric acid solution. The effect of leaching time (5–120 min) on the phase composition and magnetic properties was studied. The results of the microstructural (SEM) and compositional (ICP-MS) analyses and the study of thermal degassing profiles revealed that the RE-rich phase is preferentially leached within 5–15 min of reaction time. Leaching of the secondary phases from the magnet’s multi-phase microstructure is governed by the negative electrochemical potential of Nd and Pr. The extraction of (Nd, Pr)₂Fe₁₄B grains by the proposed acid leaching approach is compatible with the existing hydrogen processing of magnetic scrap (HPMS) technologies. The use of mild organic acid as a leaching medium makes the leaching process environmentally friendly, as the leaching medium can be easily neutralized after the reaction is completed.

The green transition initiative has exposed the importance of effective recycling of Nd-Fe-B magnets for achieving sustainability and foreign independence. In this study, we considered strip-cast, hydrogenated, jet-milled Nd-Fe-B powder as a case study to explore the potential for selective chemical leaching of the Nd-rich phase, aiming to extract the Nd₂Fe₁₄B matrix phase. Diluted citric and nitric acids at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 M were considered potential leaching mediums, and the leaching time was 15 min. Microstructural investigation, magnetic characterization, and elemental compositional analysis were performed to investigate leaching efficiency and selectivity. Based on SEM analysis, Nd/Fe ratio monitoring via ICP-MS, and the high moment/mass value at 160 emu/g for the sample leached with 1 M citric acid, 1 M citric acid proved highly selective toward the Nd-rich phase. Exposure to nitric acid resulted in a structurally damaged Nd₂Fe₁₄B matrix phase and severely diminished moment/mass value at 96.2 emu/g, thus making the nitric acid unsuitable for selective leaching. The presence of hydrogen introduced into the material via the hydrogen decrepitation process did not notably influence the leaching dynamics. The proposed leaching process based on mild organic acids is environmentally friendly and can be scaled up and adopted for reprocessing industrial scrap or end-of-life Nd-Fe-B magnets to obtain single-phase Nd-Fe-B powders that can be used for novel magnet-making.