Separation, Reduction, and Metal Recovery in Slag Metallurgy
A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 274
Special Issue Editors
Interests: metallurgy; microwave; ceramic pigment; metallurgical waste; steel scrap; slag; dust; steelmaking; ironmaking; non-metallic Inclusions; sintering
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue highlights cutting-edge strategies to unlock the hidden value of metallurgical slags, focusing on selective separation, efficient reduction, and high-yield recovery of metals to drive sustainability in metal production. Slags, often treated as waste, contain critical metals (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn, V, Cr, and rare earth elements) and demand innovative approaches to mitigate resource depletion and environmental impacts. The issue prioritizes scalable, energy-efficient technologies that bridge lab innovations to industrial applications. Core topics include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
1. Advanced Separation:(1) Selective techniques: supergravity-driven phase separation, targeted flotation, and magnetic enrichment to recover metals from complex slag matrices;
(2) Crystallization control: cooling process optimization (e.g., slow cooling, flux addition, etc.) to enhance metal droplet coalescence and separability.
2. Reduction and Recovery:(1) Low-carbon reduction: carbothermic/sulfurization processes using eco-friendly reductants (such as biochar and hydrogen) to extract base metals (Cu, Ni, etc.) and critical elements (V, Cr, etc.) with minimal iron contamination;
(2) Hybrid extraction: integration of hydrometallurgical leaching (acid/alkali) with pyrometallurgy for selective recovery of rare earth elements and precious metals.
3. Process Optimization:(1) Mitigating challenges such as fine metal entrapment, high energy consumption in slag grinding, and kinetic barriers in metal–slag separation;
(2) Tailoring slag chemistry (basicity, viscosity, etc.) and reactor designs to maximize metal recovery yields (>90%).
4. Sustainability Synergy:(1) Linking metal recovery with slag valorization (e.g., CO2 sequestration via carbonation, silica/calcium reuse, etc.) to achieve zero-waste metallurgy.
This issue invites contributions that bridge laboratory-scale breakthroughs with industrial scalability, emphasizing lifecycle analysis, energy savings, and reduced carbon footprints. By integrating multi-disciplinary insights, it aims to redefine slag as a strategic resource in the transition toward green metallurgy.
Dr. Xiang Zhang
Dr. Dingli Zheng
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. Metals 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 2600 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
- metal recovery
- carbothermic reduction
- magnetic separation
- hydrometallurgical processes
- slag valorization
- selective separation
- supergravity technology
- sulfurization process
- zero-waste metallurgy
- sustainable metal extraction
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
