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Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy of Sulfide Ores, 2nd Edition
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Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy of Sulfide Ores, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 1647

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hongbo Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Minerals Processing & Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: mineral processing and extractive metallurgy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jiushuai Deng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Separation and Processing of Symbiotic-Associated Mineral Resources in Non-Ferrous Metal Industry, National Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Indium and Tin Resources (Beijing), School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: mineral engineering; mineral materials; separation and purification; coal flotation; adsorption mechanism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first edition of “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy of Sulfide Ores” featured six publications on flotation and (bio)hydrometallurgy of sulfide ores, in 2021–2022. Due to the limited number of publications and new advances, we are now launching the 2nd Edition of the Special Issue, and we invite the latest studies to be published. 

Nonferrous metals play an important role in modern life and industry, and most metals exist in the form of sulfides in the Earth. Mineral processing and extractive metallurgy produce metals for industry, mainly including flotation and (bio)hydrometallurgy. Flotation is the main mineral processing/beneficiation technology for processing sulfide ores, which aims at providing qualified concentrates for metallurgy. (Bio)hydrometallurgy is also used as the main extractive metallurgy technology in processing sulfide ores, especially for complex and low-grade sulfide ores. Hence, this Special Issue will focus on recent advances in the mineral processing and extractive metallurgy of sulfide ores, including but not limited to topics such as (bio)hydrometallurgy technology, pyrometallurgy technology, beneficiation technology, design and preparation of reagents, mineralogy, electrochemistry, and surface and interface reaction.

Prof. Dr. Hongbo Zhao
Prof. Dr. Jiushuai Deng
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

  • sulfide ores
  • flotation
  • (bio)hydrometallurgy
  • electrochemistry
  • surface chemistry
  • fluid inclusion
  • selective separation

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2065 KB  
Article
Selective Recovery of Zinc from Oxide Ores Using Monosodium Glutamate as a Green Lixiviant
by Yasemin Ozturk
Minerals 2025, 15(8), 870; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080870 - 18 Aug 2025
Viewed by 530
Abstract
This study aims to develop an environmentally friendly hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of zinc from zinc oxide ores. The process includes monosodium glutamate (MSG) leaching, followed by zinc recovery from the pregnant leach solution via electrowinning, and the recirculation of the spent [...] Read more.
This study aims to develop an environmentally friendly hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of zinc from zinc oxide ores. The process includes monosodium glutamate (MSG) leaching, followed by zinc recovery from the pregnant leach solution via electrowinning, and the recirculation of the spent solution to the leaching stage. The study investigated the effects of key leaching parameters and identified the optimal conditions as a pH of 9.5, temperature of 70 °C, 5 h leaching time, solid-to-liquid ratio of 50 g/L, particle size of d80 = 115 µm, and initial MSG concentration of 1.0 M. Under these conditions, 82.3 ± 0.05% of the zinc was extracted with minimal co-dissolution of impurities. Subsequent electrowinning at 100 A/m2 for 150 min yielded 74.97 ± 2.43% zinc recovery with 96.4 ± 0.76% purity. The process achieved a current efficiency of 87.08%, while the specific energy consumption was calculated to be 3.98 kWh per kilogram of zinc recovered. The reusability of MSG was examined by recirculating spent electrowinning solution back to the leaching stage. Zinc extraction decreased from 82.2% to 28.5% over three electrowinning–leaching cycles, due to MSG degradation during electrowinning. The results of this study demonstrated that MSG is a selective and effective lixiviant for zinc recovery, while underlining the limitations of its reuse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy of Sulfide Ores, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 4750 KB  
Article
Analysis of Occurrence States of Rare Earth Elements in the Carbonatite Deposits in China
by Zuopei Jiang, Ni He, Liang Hu, Yayuan Liu, Jingyi Gong and Hongbo Zhao
Minerals 2025, 15(8), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080866 - 16 Aug 2025
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs), as necessary elements in many industries, have driven increased demand for mineral exploitation. However, understanding the occurrence states of REEs is crucial for their extraction. Therefore, this work primarily investigated the differences in the occurrence states of REEs and [...] Read more.
Rare earth elements (REEs), as necessary elements in many industries, have driven increased demand for mineral exploitation. However, understanding the occurrence states of REEs is crucial for their extraction. Therefore, this work primarily investigated the differences in the occurrence states of REEs and the thermal decomposition behavior of carbonatite rare earth deposits in China using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the bastnaesite concentrate from the M deposit in southwestern China (referred to herein as B-ore), contained REEs accounting for 53.59%, and was associated with small amounts of wulfenite, barite, and iron ore. In contrast, the contents of REEs in the raw ores of N deposit in northern China (referred to herein as R-ore) was relatively low (3.71%), but were also enriched in Fe. R-ore consisted of small particle, with 32.44% sized between 0.075 and 0.11 mm, and 26.38% below 0.075 mm. The contents of Fe, La, and Ce in these smaller particles were higher than those of larger particles. Fe might be substituted with Ce, La, and other REEs in magnetite crystals, forming isomorphic structures. This research was expected to provide assistance in the efficient extraction of REEs from carbonatite deposits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy of Sulfide Ores, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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41 pages, 5058 KB  
Review
Review of Enargite Flotation—Part I: Surface Characterization and Advances in Selective Flotation
by Pablo Miranda-Villagrán, Rodrigo Yepsen, Andrés Ramírez-Madrid, Jorge H. Saavedra and Leopoldo Gutiérrez
Minerals 2025, 15(9), 971; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090971 - 13 Sep 2025
Viewed by 353
Abstract
Enargite (Cu3AsS4), a copper–arsenic sulfosalt, represents a critical challenge in copper mineral processing due to its high arsenic content, which poses significant environmental, metallurgical, and economic issues. Its flotation behavior closely resembles that of other copper sulfides such as [...] Read more.
Enargite (Cu3AsS4), a copper–arsenic sulfosalt, represents a critical challenge in copper mineral processing due to its high arsenic content, which poses significant environmental, metallurgical, and economic issues. Its flotation behavior closely resembles that of other copper sulfides such as chalcopyrite and chalcocite, complicating selective separation at early beneficiation stages. This review presents a comprehensive examination of enargite’s surface chemistry and electrochemical behavior, focusing on the influence of oxidation, pH, and pulp potential on surface reactivity, charge distribution (zeta potential), and hydrophobicity. Detailed insights into the formation of surface oxidation layers, passivation mechanisms, and contact angle variations are provided to elucidate collector-mineral interactions. Advances in selective flotation techniques are also discussed, including the use of depressant reagents, controlled redox environments, and reagent conditioning strategies. Special attention is given to flotation in seawater, where ionic strength and multivalent ions significantly influence mineral-reagent interactions and flotation outcomes. Galvanic interactions between enargite and other sulfide minerals are identified as critical factors affecting floatability and selectivity. The review consolidates findings from recent experimental and electrochemical studies, highlighting promising approaches to enhance enargite rejection and copper concentrate purity. It concludes with perspectives on future research aimed at optimizing flotation processes and developing sustainable solutions for processing arsenic-bearing copper ores. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy of Sulfide Ores, 2nd Edition)
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