Advanced Application of Surface Mineralogy in Enhancing Processing Efficiency and Mitigating Environmental Impact
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 26
Special Issue Editors
Interests: applied surface chemistry to mineral and element separation processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: mobility and fate of metals in natural environments technologies for remediation and metal recovery; biogeochemical processes controlling pollutants
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nowadays, minerals are among the most relevant materials for society. They are no longer merely fundamental building blocks of ore deposits located in distant mine sites; rather, they are the source of most of the technologies we use on daily basis. In this context and considering the large tonnages commonly involved in mining activities, the variability of mineral composition across ore deposits, together with aspects related to the specific technologies to which ore are subjected during extraction and processing, dictate process efficiencies and, more importantly, the associated environmental impacts, which need to be reduced or, at least, mitigated. Within this framework, it has been observed that conventional physical, and even chemical, knowledge associated with elemental composition is insufficient to fully understand these processes so as to achieve any further improvement. More information coming from advanced measurements of minerals, particularly of their surfaces and the interfaces produced in these operations, is required.
Indeed, whatever the targeted process is—precise tailoring of reagent schemes to target valuable mineral surfaces and enhancing the selectivity and recovery in froth flotation; identification of specific refractory phases to improve leaching efficiencies in hydrometallurgical plants; selection of optimal mineral mixture for designing permeable reactive barriers for acid mine drainage; or addressing any other pressing environmental concern—more detailed knowledge and understanding of mineral surfaces and interfaces is crucial.
Research studies with emphasis on environmental issues and encompassing, but not limited to, the characterisation of mineral surface through advanced analytical techniques that enable accurate forecasting or improvement of various process efficiencies such as mitigation of acid rock drainage; the reduction of metal leaching potential in tailings; surface modifications leading to improved dewatering strategies and rheological control, thereby enhancing water recovery; and increased geotechnical stability of storage facilities, are encouraged.
Dr. Gonzalo Montes Atenas
Dr. Marco Alsina Corvalán
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- surface mineralogy
- flotation optimisation
- hydrometallurgy
- acid rock drainage
- tailings stabilisation
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.
