This $305,000 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) aims to develop a novel, more environmentally-friendly process for manufacturing the rare earth metal neodymium. Neodymium is critical for permanent magnets used in a wide range of modern technologies, including wind turbines, electric vehicles, and defense applications. The award supports the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project of Galvanix Inc., a for-profit manufacturer, to advance a novel molten salt electrolysis process that is more efficient and produces less pollution than the current dominant oxyfluoride reduction method. The project seeks to optimize the novel process to continuously produce liquid neodymium, with the goal of enabling a cost-competitive domestic supply of this essential material. No sub-awards are planned under this grant, which has an award date of March 1, 2025 and a targeted completion date of February 28, 2026.
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