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Colloids and Interfaces
Special Issues
Colloids and Interfaces in Mineral Processing
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Colloids and Interfaces in Mineral Processing

A special issue of Colloids and Interfaces (ISSN 2504-5377).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 1428

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marta Krasowska

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Guest Editor
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Interests: surface forces in soft matter; thin liquid films; bubbles and drops; colloid stability; surfactants; polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Piotr Pawliszak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Future Industries Institute, UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
2. ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals, University of South Australia Node, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
Interests: bubbles and drops; surfactants; microfluidics; mineral processing; hydrodynamic boundary conditions
Dr. George Blankson Abaka-Wood

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sustainable Minerals Processing, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
Interests: battery metals and critical minerals; rare earth elements; extractive metallurgy; mineral processing; process plant design and optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anna Nikitina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Future Industry Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide 5095, Australia
Interests: polyelectrolytes; nanomaterials; physical chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to the critical roles of colloidal particles and interfaces in optimising mineral processing techniques. It examines key interfacial phenomena and the participation of colloidal particles in critical processes like froth flotation, particle aggregation, adsorption, and dewatering. Achieving improved processing methods and efficient mineral recovery, essential for a low-carbon energy future, depends on a deep understanding of scientific principles, including interactions and interfacial forces among particles, bubbles, and oil droplets. It also involves the dynamics of polymer and surface-active molecule adsorption at solid–liquid and liquid–gas interfaces, as well as fundamental concepts like contact angle, spreading, and wetting/dewetting. The Issue also showcases cutting-edge innovations and emerging technologies. These include novel hydrophobic carriers, such as emulsions and polymers, designed to enhance mineral surface hydrophobicity; environmentally friendly flotation reagents, including biosurfactants, biopolymers, and peptides; and advanced equipment for selective aggregation of fine particles to boost flotation efficiency. Collectively, these advancements offer the promise of more effective and sustainable practices in mineral processing.

Prof. Dr. Marta Krasowska
Dr. Piotr Pawliszak
Dr. George Blankson Abaka-Wood
Dr. Anna Nikitina
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. Colloids and Interfaces is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 1600 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

  • adsorption
  • frothers
  • depressants
  • collectors
  • surfactants
  • spreading
  • contact angle
  • colloids
  • flotation
  • interfacial forces

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2841 KiB  
Article
A Bio-Based Collector Derived from Vitamin E for Hematite Flotation
by Rocky Mensah, Tammitage Danesh S. Perera, Tina Hsia, Pouria Amani, San H. Thang and Mahshid Firouzi
Colloids Interfaces 2025, 9(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/colloids9020024 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 342
Abstract
The increasing demand for sustainable mining practices has driven the development of environmentally friendly reagents for mineral processing. This study investigates vitamin E sodium succinate (VE_SS), a novel bio-based collector, for its potential in hematite flotation. The performance of VE_SS was benchmarked against [...] Read more.
The increasing demand for sustainable mining practices has driven the development of environmentally friendly reagents for mineral processing. This study investigates vitamin E sodium succinate (VE_SS), a novel bio-based collector, for its potential in hematite flotation. The performance of VE_SS was benchmarked against sodium oleate (NaOL), a widely used conventional collector in mineral processing. To assess the flotation performance of VE_SS, micro-flotation experiments were conducted using hematite, sourced from a mine, and silica, a common associated gangue mineral. These tests were complemented by comprehensive surface characterizations, including contact angle measurements, zeta potential analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to investigate the adsorption mechanisms of VE_SS in comparison to NaOL. The results demonstrate that VE_SS effectively enhances hematite recovery, achieving levels comparable to NaOL. Furthermore, VE_SS exhibited reduced sensitivity to pH, addressing a key limitation of NaOL, which performs well in neutral to alkaline conditions but shows significantly lower recovery under acidic pH. These findings highlight the potential of VE_SS as a bio-based alternative to conventional collectors, contributing to the advancement of more sustainable mineral processing practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloids and Interfaces in Mineral Processing)
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14 pages, 4232 KiB  
Article
Fenugreek Polysaccharide Gum as a Depressant in the Flotation Separation of Gold Ore with a High Content of Clay Minerals
by Qingqing Xing, Pingtian Ming, Xiaohui Wang, Fei Li, Zhen Wang and Kaile Zhao
Colloids Interfaces 2025, 9(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/colloids9020021 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
A gold mine located in western China is facing the problem of a low concentrate grade, significantly hindering its economic benefits. Preliminary assessments indicate that this is caused by gangue minerals that are prone to floating and sliming, necessitating suppression in the flotation [...] Read more.
A gold mine located in western China is facing the problem of a low concentrate grade, significantly hindering its economic benefits. Preliminary assessments indicate that this is caused by gangue minerals that are prone to floating and sliming, necessitating suppression in the flotation process. The effect of fenugreek polysaccharide gum (FGM) upon the flotation separation of arsenopyrite (representative of Au-bearing minerals) and pyrophyllite (a typical gangue mineral) was investigated; its industrial potential was verified through actual ore flotation and pilot plant testing. Additionally, the selective inhibition mechanism of FGM on pyrophyllite was elucidated. The flotation tests of pure minerals indicated that pyrophyllite has a high natural floatability; thus, it cannot be separated from arsenopyrite at low alkaline pH (7–9); smaller pyrophyllite particle sizes, especially −0.038 mm fractions, significantly decreased the arsenopyrite recovery; FGM can eliminate this adverse effect to a large extent through its selective depression of the flotation of pyrophyllite. For real ore systems, FGM also exhibited superior performance compared with the commonly used silicate and SHMP; closed-circuit flotation tests showed that the gold grade of the concentrate increased by 3.90 g/t and the enrichment ratio increased by 2.53 with the addition of FGM. As of now, FGM has increased the profits by USD 1.715 M in the past two years by improving concentrate grade and recovery efficiency. According to the results of contact angle, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the selective adsorption of FGM onto the pyrophyllite surface was the reason for the positive effect; the interaction primarily involved the Al sites on the pyrophyllite surface and the –OH on FGM molecules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloids and Interfaces in Mineral Processing)
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