Interfacial Chemistry of Critical Mineral Flotation

Dear Colleagues,

Critical minerals are elemental raw materials used for national defense, energy structure transition, information and communication, and other electronic devices used by the population. However, the concentration of these minerals in raw ore, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, tin, uranium, etc., is extremely low. The separation of critical minerals from low-grade raw ore is a great challenge. As the most robust technique to enrich fine minerals from ore, mineral flotation is widely acknowledged as an efficient, clean, and environmentally friendly technique in fine particle separation. The three components in mineral flotation are mineral particles, bubbles, and liquid water. Due to the existence of flotation reagents, the contact behaviors among these three phases can be manipulated, thereby producing metals and many other materials in our modern world. With the rapid development of nano-techniques and highly selective flotation reagents, flotation is enabling humans to improve their rate of utilization of natural resources. This will further promote the development of society and improve energy utilization efficiency.

This Special Issue seeks papers that demystify the principles of superior enrichment or high selectivity promoted by adjusting the pulp environment, novel flotation reagents, nanobubbles, etc., in the field of flotation. This Special Issue will highlight the latest advances in the theory of mineral flotation and welcomes original research articles, reviews, and case studies including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• The interfacial chemistry of critical minerals;
• Colloid chemistry in critical mineral flotation;
• The flotation of fine or ultrafine particles;
• Theories or methods to design flotation reagents;
• Novel adsorption theories of flotation reagents;
• Beneficiation theory of critical metal minerals.

Dr. Jianyong He
Prof. Dr. Yijun Cao
Dr. Fanfan Zhang
Dr. Shaohang Cao
Guest Editors

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• mineral surface chemistry
• fine particle flotation
• critical mineral
• molecular design
• surface hydration
• surface hydroxylation
• metal ion-activated flotation
• structure and performance
• first-principles calculations