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Recent Advances in Separation Techniques for Critical Minerals/Metals, Circular Economy,...
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Recent Advances in Separation Techniques for Critical Minerals/Metals, Circular Economy, and Sustainability

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 3295

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Theerayut Phengsaart

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Interests: mineral processing; physical separation; coal cleaning; resource recycling; plastic separation; waste management; environmental remediation
Dr. Ilhwan Park

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Sustainable Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan
Interests: mineral processing; flotation; hydrometallurgy; leaching; electrochemistry; resource recycling; environmental remediation; acid mine drainage; sulfide passivation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Carlito Tabelin

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Materials and Resources Engineering and Technology, College of Engineering and Technology, Mindanao State University—Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City 9200, Philippines
Interests: sustainable mine waste management; groundwater and soil pollution; acid mine drainage prevention and control; waste reprocessing and repurposing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Mayumi Ito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Sustainable Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
Interests: separation techniques; mineral processing; hydrometallurgy; critical minerals; recycling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global demand for critical minerals/metals, which are essential for high-tech applications and renewable energy technologies, is on the rise. This increasing demand, coupled with the urgent need for sustainable resource management, presents significant challenges for industries and governments worldwide. The current limitations in separation techniques for critical minerals/metals create substantial barriers to achieving a sustainable circular economy. Existing methods still face limitations in the efficiency and selectivity necessary to extract these valuable resources from complex ores and diverse waste streams, leading to significant environmental impacts and resource wastage. To overcome these challenges, advanced separation techniques must be considered.

Advanced separation techniques are pivotal for enabling the circular economy by facilitating efficient material reuse and recycling, reducing dependence on primary raw materials, and minimizing environmental harm. These practices are instrumental in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 12: “Responsible Consumption and Production”. By promoting sustainable practices and closing the resource loop, these techniques significantly contribute to building a more resilient and eco-friendly economy. To address these challenges and promote environmental sustainability, we invite submissions to our Special Issue that highlight recent developments in separation techniques and their contribution to sustainable solutions.

This Special Issue emphasizes research and development in physical separation techniques and extractive metallurgy methods for mineral processing and resource recycling, as well as environmental remediation, with a specific focus on critical minerals/metals. However, research on other critical resources is also welcome. This collection covers a wide range of topics, including gravity separation, magnetic separation, electrical separation, and flotation. It also explores methods such as leaching, solvent extraction, cementation, adsorption, and precipitation, highlighting their importance in both primary and secondary resource utilization. The goal is to promote a circular economy and carbon neutrality while addressing environmental and sustainability concerns in the extraction and processing of critical minerals/metals.

Dr. Theerayut Phengsaart
Dr. Ilhwan Park
Prof. Dr. Carlito Tabelin
Prof. Dr. Mayumi Ito
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 processing/beneficiation
  • physical separation
  • selective comminution
  • size/shape separation
  • gravity separation
  • magnetic separation
  • electrical separation
  • flotation
  • extractive metallurgy
  • leaching
  • purification
  • solvent extraction
  • precipitation
  • cementation
  • adsorption
  • critical minerals/metals
  • primary/secondary resources
  • recycling
  • circular economy
  • environment
  • sustainability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 12316 KiB  
Article
Effect of Selective Milling on the Concentration Process of Critical Raw Materials from MSW Incinerator Bottom Ash
by Ida B. G. S. Adhiwiguna, S. Humaira Sahbudin, Winfried Ruhkamp, Ragnar Warnecke and Rüdiger Deike
Minerals 2024, 14(11), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14111174 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 626
Abstract
This research introduces selective milling as a reliable and effective initial concentration process to enable efficient separation and ensure high recovery rates of valuable and critical materials (minerals and metals) from processed incinerator bottom ash (pr.IBA), a treated mineral fraction originating from the [...] Read more.
This research introduces selective milling as a reliable and effective initial concentration process to enable efficient separation and ensure high recovery rates of valuable and critical materials (minerals and metals) from processed incinerator bottom ash (pr.IBA), a treated mineral fraction originating from the conventional municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator bottom ash (IBA) processing steps. Four different types of pr.IBA (each sample weighing up to three tons) were selectively milled using a demonstration-scale vertical roller mill to produce three distinct products: fine, middle, and coarse fractions. Chemical analysis demonstrated that a concentration step after selective milling could be reliably achieved regardless of the variation in the sources and qualities of the input materials. Specifically, calcium-containing compounds can be enriched in the fine fraction, potentially containing Ca2SiO4, CaSO4, and CaCO3. Complementary to its particle size equivalent to the raw mix, this calcium segregation could be valuable as an alternative material in cement clinker production. Conversely, the segregation of metal-bearing substances, particularly iron and copper, was detected in the coarse fraction. Such segregation is comparable to specific ore grades and enhances the possibility of metal recovery from pr.IBA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Separation Techniques for Critical Minerals/Metals, Circular Economy, and Sustainability)
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13 pages, 4701 KiB  
Article
Effect of Gas Dispersion Properties and Bias in Scheelite Column Flotation
by HyunSoo Kim and Chul-Hyun Park
Minerals 2024, 14(9), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090881 - 29 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 646
Abstract
In this study, column flotation was used to recover a high-grade concentrate from low-grade WO3 ore. Gas dispersion properties, such as superficial gas velocity, gas holdup, bubble size, bubble surface area flux, carrying rate, and bias, were investigated in two phases (gas–liquid) [...] Read more.
In this study, column flotation was used to recover a high-grade concentrate from low-grade WO3 ore. Gas dispersion properties, such as superficial gas velocity, gas holdup, bubble size, bubble surface area flux, carrying rate, and bias, were investigated in two phases (gas–liquid) and three phases (gas–liquid–solid) in the column, and their effects on the grade and recovery of WO3. It was confirmed that the gas velocity significantly affected these factors, with the gas holdup, bubble size, bubble surface area flux, and carrying rate tending to increase as the gas velocity increased. The bias increased with an increase in the wash water velocity. The results showed that the grade and recovery of WO3 could be controlled within a specific range of operating conditions of bias (0.27–0.48 cm/s) and carrying rate (10.53–18.83 g/min/cm2). Correlation plots of grade/recovery versus bias and carrying rate revealed that the optimal separation achievable for a given WO3 concentrate in a flotation column was a 72.16% grade with a 78.3% recovery, satisfying the metallurgical requirement of more than 50% for WO3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Separation Techniques for Critical Minerals/Metals, Circular Economy, and Sustainability)
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23 pages, 14079 KiB  
Article
Study on Column Leaching Behavior of Low-Grade High Calcium and Magnesium Copper Ore
by Jingyuan Xu, Shuchen Qin, Chaozhen Zheng, Honghong Sun, Baojun Yang, Sanping Liu, Guanzhou Qiu, Derek O. Northwood, Kristian E. Waters and Hao Ma
Minerals 2024, 14(8), 822; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080822 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1074
Abstract
This paper studies the process mineralogy, mechanism, and kinetics of column leaching behavior of low-grade high-calcium–magnesium copper ore. The effect of sulfuric acid concentration, leach solution spraying intensity, and material particle size on column leaching kinetics is discussed. The kinetic analysis of column [...] Read more.
This paper studies the process mineralogy, mechanism, and kinetics of column leaching behavior of low-grade high-calcium–magnesium copper ore. The effect of sulfuric acid concentration, leach solution spraying intensity, and material particle size on column leaching kinetics is discussed. The kinetic analysis of column leaching of copper indicates that sulfuric acid concentration has a significant impact. As sulfuric acid concentration increases, the limiting step of reaction shifts from chemical reaction control to a combination of chemical reaction and diffusion mixing control. Spraying intensity also affects copper column leaching; increasing intensity shifts the limiting step from diffusion control to mixing control, thereby mitigating the effects of diffusion control. Regarding other elements, it is found that iron leaching is primarily controlled by chemical reaction, while calcium leaching is mainly controlled by chemical reaction. As sulfuric acid concentration increases from 10 g/L to 20 g/L, the limiting step for calcium leaching shifts from chemical reaction control to chemical reaction and diffusion-mixing control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Separation Techniques for Critical Minerals/Metals, Circular Economy, and Sustainability)
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