Novel Hydrometallurgical Processes for Critical Metal Extraction from Raw and Waste Resources
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 394
Editors
Interests: hydrometallurgy; mineral processing; waste treatment; critical minerals and rare earths
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: hydrometallurgy; pyrometallurgy; recycling of critical metals from secondary sources; recycling of permanent magnets and solar cell
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Zhongyuan Critical Metals Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450000, China
Interests: mineral processing; flotation reagent; thermodynamics of adsorption; carbon emission
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The accelerating demand for critical metals, including Li, Co, Ni, REEs, and PGMs, and driven by clean energy deployment and advanced electronics, has intensified the search for next-generation hydrometallurgical strategies that are more selective, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible. Conventional extraction methods remain limited by high reagent consumption, carbon intensity, and inefficiency when processing low-grade ores and secondary feedstocks such as electronic waste, mine tailings, and industrial residues. To address these limitations, we aim to investigate and integrate emerging hydrometallurgical innovations, including: (1) biologically assisted leaching and electro-biohybrid systems; (2) designer solvent platforms such as deep eutectic solvents and ionic liquids for enhanced selectivity; (3) electrochemical recovery pathways, including direct electrodeposition from complex leachates; (4) next-generation extractants and lixiviant systems engineered for rare earth fractionation; and (5) hybrid flowsheets coupling mechanochemical activation, selective leaching, and low-waste purification. The scope of this Special Issue includes the assessment of reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, the evaluation of environmental and techno-economic performance, the identification of scale-up barriers, and the examination of regulatory and policy enablers for industrial deployment. Ultimately, the proposed research seeks to establish viable pathways that reduce hazardous chemical use, minimize waste generation, and support circular economy models by enabling sustainable recovery and closed-loop management of critical metals.
Dr. Sait Kursunoglu
Dr. Elif Emil Kaya
Prof. Dr. Guixia Fan
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- critical metals
- sustainable hydrometallurgy
- bio-assisted processes
- green solvent systems
- separation and purification
- waste resources
- tailings and mine waste reprocessing
- electrochemical recovery
- circular economy
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