Critical Metal Minerals in Coal, 2nd Edition
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editors
Interests: critical metals in coal; trace element geochemistry; mineralogy of coal; coal petrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: sodium occurrence and removal in high alkali coal; coal maceral groups separation; occurrence and extraction of critical elements in coal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: distribution, mode of occurrence, and enrichment mechanisms of critical metals in coal and coal-bearing sequences; metallogenic mechanism of critical metals in coal-bearing sequences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Critical minerals yield elements that have unique material properties and are irreplaceable in critical applications such as in the areas of energy, information technology, and aerospace, as well as other industries. Critical minerals in coal include elements such as germanium, gallium, uranium, niobium, zirconium, and rare-earth elements. These critical elements can be enriched from coal ash as a by-product of burning coal. The first edition of this Special Issue of Minerals, “Critical Metal Minerals in Coal”, was published in 2023 and highlighted significant advances in this field. There has been considerable progress in understanding the occurrence of critical metals in coal and assessing their potential scalability. However, systematic industry guidelines have not yet been established, creating an obstacle to achieving effective resource recycling. To fully harness the immense potential of coal-hosted critical metals, fundamental research into industrial applications and interdisciplinary collaboration is needed. Now, in 2025, we are launching the second edition of this Special Issue. We invite researchers worldwide to contribute innovative manuscripts, collectively explore frontiers in extraction, work toward a better understanding of the utilization of critical coal-derived metals, and translate research results into practical applications.
The themes of the Special Issue are as follows:
Theme 1: Metallogenic mechanisms and occurrence characteristics of critical metals in coal with a focus on genetic processes (e.g., hydrothermal fluid interactions and sedimentary controls) and microscopic occurrence states (e.g., organic/inorganic associations). Submissions detailing new geological evidence or basin-specific case studies are encouraged.
Theme 2: Occurrence and distribution of critical metals in coal; these can provide insights to guide the development of pre-concentration (e.g., physical sorting, gravity separation). We welcome contributions applying field data to optimize pre-enrichment efficiency.
Theme 3: Technologies for extracting critical metals from coal and by-products with advanced separation techniques (e.g., hydrometallurgy, bioleaching) tailored to coal/ash matrices with an emphasis on cost-effectiveness and environmental compliance. Submissions evaluating scalable methods or industrial pilot tests will be prioritized.
Prof. Dr. Wenfeng Wang
Dr. Xin He
Dr. Piaopiao Duan
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- coal-hosted critical metal metallogenic mechanisms
- spatial distribution and occurrence characteristics of coal-hosted critical metals
- exploration and resource development of coal-hosted critical metals
- pre-concentration of coal-hosted critical metals
- extraction of critical metals from coal and by-products
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Related Special Issue
- Critical Metal Minerals in Coal in Minerals (6 articles)
