Minerals

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Special Issue of Minerals entitled "Exploration, Mining, and Processing of Minerals: Enabling the Clean Energy Transition", which will mainly reflect the latest research presented at the RawMat2023 conference, and also welcomes manuscripts with the same theme from around the world. Compiling the findings of one of the largest gatherings of professionals in the field of raw materials, this Special Issue will show the latest research and innovations in the exploration, mining, and processing of minerals.

As the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, the demand for minerals essential to clean energy technologies has skyrocketed. However, exploring and extracting these minerals sustainably and responsibly pose significant challenges. This Special Issue will highlight cutting-edge research and technologies that can address these challenges and enable a sustainable and responsible transition to clean energy.

The papers in this Special Issue will cover a broad range of topics, including mineral exploration, sustainable mining practices, innovative mineral processing techniques, and the development of new, sustainable materials for clean energy technologies. The issue will also include case studies and real-world examples of successful initiatives and projects aimed at enabling the clean energy transition.

This issue promises to be a valuable resource for researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and anyone interested in the exploration, mining, and processing of minerals for the clean energy transition. We look forward to receiving and publishing high-quality research papers that showcase the latest advancements in this critical field.

Prof. Dr. Anthimos Xenidis
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Komnitsas
Prof. Dr. Vasilios Melfos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mineral deposits
mineral exploration
mining
processing
critical elements
strategic metals
energy transition

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

15 pages, 3067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Behavior of Natural Manganese Oxides: Transforming Mining Waste into Energy Storage Materials

by George Soulamidis, Maria Kourmousi, Christiana A. Mitsopoulou and Christina Stouraiti

Minerals 2024, 14(5), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050455 - 26 Apr 2024

Viewed by 328

Abstract

The present research explores the potential of manganese oxide waste ore in energy storage applications, focusing on supercapacitors. The investigation assesses the electrochemical capabilities of natural manganese oxides obtained from the Drama region, which has been the main mining center of Greece for manganese ore, especially that of battery-grade quality. Samples were collected from abandoned mining sites in the Kato Nevrokopi area, Drama. The structure and composition of the manganese minerals were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical tests involved the preparation of electrodes using natural nsutite and heat-treated nsutite (hausmannite). Then, the designed electrodes were subjected to cyclic voltammetry tests and charge–discharge measurements. The hausmannite electrode exhibited a higher specific capacitance of 667 F/g at a current density of 0.2 A/g, and the electrode material retained 98.3% of its initial capacitance after 1000 cycles. This study provides new perspectives on simple and efficient methods for transforming natural nsutite material from mining waste to hausmannite with greater structural homogeneity and better electrochemical behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration, Mining, and Processing of Minerals: Enabling the Clean Energy Transition)

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