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Minerals
Special Issues
Characterization of Minerals and Raw Materials Resources Replenishment
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Characterization of Minerals and Raw Materials Resources Replenishment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 June 2025 | Viewed by 4504

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sofia Barbosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Earth Sciences Department and GeoBioTec, FCT-NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: mineral resources; responsible mining; mine closure; metals and circular economy; advanced materials characterization (primary and secondary mineral raw materials); geoenvironmental engineering; risk analysis & decision-making analysis; data processing & statistical analysis in earth sciences
Dr. José António de Almeida

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Earth Sciences Department and GeoBioTec, FCT-NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: geological modelling; geostatistics; data analysis; mineral resource assessment; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Technological advances and equipment innovation in distinct sectors such as transport industry, medicine, pharmaceutical industry, and food production, as well as the necessities due to the implementation of energy transition policies, have significantly increased the demand for critical raw materials of mineral origin. Although some of the necessities refers to applications and equipment that utilize small quantities of these raw materials, its availability, responsible exploitation, and low recycling rates are aspects of concern that have been contributing to increased investigation and industrial interests regarding technological innovation in (a) mineral and elemental identification in distinct geological and geochemical contexts, (b) remining and efficient exploitability of mining waste, (c) advanced mineral and geochemical characterization in primary and secondary raw material sources, and (d) introducing efficient processing alternatives in the production mine value chains that promote multiple mineral and metal recovery. For most cases, the high level of technological sophistication implies a significant decrease in cut-off grades and mineral liberation size, increasing the necessities for detailed geometallurgic and microscopic studies at millimetric, micrometric, and ideally, in some cases, at nanometric scales.

This Special Issue invites submissions that include original scientific research related with the identification and characterization of minerals and critical elements in primary and secondary resources. The Special Issue focuses on the following topics: (1) the occurrence of critical raw materials in nature, and identification of its exploitable mineralogical forms, and exploitability thresholds; (2) mineral resource identification, liberation size, and cut-off grade in secondary raw materials; (3) microscopic and spectroscopic advanced techniques for elemental and mineral identification and classification such as SEM-EDS, QEMSCAN, LIBS, XRF, EDXRF, and RAMAN; (4) hyperspectral imaging for elemental and mineral identification, including HCLI (Hyperspectral Core Logging Imaging); (5) case studies and applications considering ore and industrial minerals as multiple sources of distinct raw materials; (6) case studies and applications considering secondary raw materials as alternative sources for mineral recovery or industrial mineral production; and (7) discoveries and innovative exploration studies of critical mineral raw materials.

Dr. Sofia Barbosa
Dr. José António de Almeida
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

  • advanced mineral characterization
  • mine value chain optimization
  • mining waste resources and exploitability
  • mineral resources in secondary raw materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1871 KiB  
Article
Recovery of Metals from Titanium Ore Using Solvent Extraction Process: Part 1—Transition Metals
by Nelson Kiprono Rotich, Irena Herdzik-Koniecko, Tomasz Smolinski, Paweł Kalbarczyk, Marcin Sudlitz, Marcin Rogowski, Hagen Stosnach and Andrzej G. Chmielewski
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121212 - 28 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1131
Abstract
Solvent extraction of metals from Ti ore was investigated with a view of enhancing extraction yields by changing the concentration of the ligands, the rate of mixing, the pH, and the temperature of the solution. Norwegian Ti ore was leached with 5M HNO [...] Read more.
Solvent extraction of metals from Ti ore was investigated with a view of enhancing extraction yields by changing the concentration of the ligands, the rate of mixing, the pH, and the temperature of the solution. Norwegian Ti ore was leached with 5M HNO3 alongside 10% ascorbic acid to obtain a pregnant solution containing transition metals and some rare earth elements (REEs). Part Two of the study will address the recovery of the REEs in the ore. The elemental analysis of solid and aqueous samples was done by two models of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometers (S2 PICOFOX, Bruker Corporation, Berlin, Germany; and T-STAR, Bruker Corporation, Berlin, Germany). The same analysis was repeated using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (Perkin Elmer Sciex ELAN DRC II, Perkin Elmer, Waltham, MA, USA). The extraction process and parameters were examined by ICP-MS. The extraction efficiencies were studied under different conditions through the use of various concentrations of ligands at different pHs, temperatures, and mixing rates of the solution. At pH 1.0, 22.5 °C, and a mixing rate of 1400 rpm, the selectivity of 150 g/L trioctyl methyl ammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) was 99% Ti4+, 94% V4⁺, and 82% Hf4+, while 99% of Co2⁺ was recovered at pH 0.8. The extraction efficiency of triethyl phosphate (10% TEP) was 58% Cu2⁺, 68% Mn2⁺, and 63% V4⁺ at 55 °C, 1400 rpm, and without a pH change. Tributyl phosphate (10% TBP) was able to retrieve 87% Cu2⁺ and 78% Zn2⁺ at pH 1.3, 1400 rpm, and 22.5 °C, and 80% Ti4+ at pH 1.2. A 10% solution of 2,4,6-tris (allyloxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TAOT) demonstrated 61% Mn2⁺ and 56% Hf4+ extraction at pH 1.3, 22.5 °C, and 1400 rpm. Under the same conditions, 10% methyl salicylate (MS) was able to recover 56% Hf4+ at pH 1.3. Using 1400 rpm, di (2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (10% D2EHPA) was found to selectively extract 87% Hf4+ at 22.5 °C without a pH change, and around 99% Co2⁺, Ti4+, and Fe2⁺ at pH 1.3. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing solvent extraction conditions for transition metals’ recovery and serves as a precursor to future research on the extraction of REEs from Ti ores. This process is relevant from the environmental and economic perspectives since it provides the best approach to recycling metals to reduce the rate of raw ore mining. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization of Minerals and Raw Materials Resources Replenishment)
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16 pages, 4226 KiB  
Article
Characterization of a Nickel Sulfide Concentrate and Its Implications on Pentlandite Beneficiation
by Linda D. Ayedzi, Massimiliano Zanin, William Skinner and George B. Abaka-Wood
Minerals 2024, 14(4), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040414 - 18 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2583
Abstract
In anticipation of future demands, a comprehensive understanding of the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of nickel-bearing minerals is a prerequisite to devising effective nickel beneficiation methods. Of particular importance are markers in the mineralogy of the flotation concentrate that inform beneficiation strategies to [...] Read more.
In anticipation of future demands, a comprehensive understanding of the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of nickel-bearing minerals is a prerequisite to devising effective nickel beneficiation methods. Of particular importance are markers in the mineralogy of the flotation concentrate that inform beneficiation strategies to improve concentrate grades, increasing both the marketability and cost of refining. In this work, a detailed characterization of a complex nickel sulfide flotation concentrate from a Western Australian deposit was carried out to determine the mode of occurrence and distribution of nickel and the associated gangue minerals, with the view of identifying prudent beneficiation strategies to improve concentrate grades. The concentrate was characterized via particle, chemical, and mineralogical techniques. Particle size analysis of the concentrate showed that it consisted predominantly of fine and ultra-fine particles (<20 μm), with the nickel value concentrated in the finer size fractions. Nickel mineralization in the ore (by quantitative X-ray diffraction) was found to be within pentlandite, violarite, millerite, and gersdorffite. The sulfide gangue was predominantly pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, and galena. Quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning microscopy (QEMSCAN) analysis revealed that nickel minerals are at least 91% liberated, and the remaining portion (around 7%) is locked within binary iron (Fe) sulfides and 2% within complex minerals. Based on these findings, potential processing options, such as magnetic separation, gravity separation, and froth flotation, for recovering and upgrading nickel from this concentrate are discussed. Notably, with the significant presence of ultrafine/fine pyrrhotite content, averaging around 52% in the minus 38 µm fraction, novel flotation cells, including the Jameson cell, column flotation cells, and Reflux flotation cell (RFC), have been identified as potential candidates for fine/ultrafine pentlandite recovery. Overall, the characterization study conducted suggests that acquiring knowledge about the mineralogical characteristics of existing mineral concentrates can serve as a pathway to improving future concentrate grades. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization of Minerals and Raw Materials Resources Replenishment)
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