Recycling of Mining and Solid Wastes

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 June 2025 | Viewed by 2862

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Mineral Processing Laboratory, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 9500 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
Interests: mineral processing; extractive metallurgy; urban mining; gravity separation; granular materials; mass and energy balances
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E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mineral Processing Laboratory, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 9500 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
Interests: waste recycling; emerging pollutants; mineral processing; froth flotation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The diminishing ore grades pose increasingly significant economic and sustainability challenges for primary extraction from ores. Simultaneously, each year witnesses the establishment of new records for solid waste production, and long-forgotten waste dumps are now being recognized as valuable reservoirs of raw materials. This shift has given rise to a prominent trend: the growing interest in extracting raw materials, particularly the scarcer ones, from secondary resources. This evolving field is now commonly referred to as "urban mining."

Within this context, this Special Issue is dedicated to the compilation and presentation of the latest advancements in the processing and extraction of raw materials from mining and solid waste. We cordially invite original research, comprehensive reviews, and technical papers addressing the treatment of mining and metallurgical waste sources (including waste rocks, tailings, slags, dust, and sludges) as well as solid waste widespread generated (plastics, construction and demolition waste, waste from electrical and electronic equipment, biomass, etc.). We are committed to providing a comprehensive platform for discussing these emerging challenges and opportunities in the field of solid waste recycling, fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable resource extraction from secondary resources.

In anticipation of your valuable contributions to this Special Issue, we look forward to collectively advancing our knowledge of sustainable waste recycling. Your insights are vital in shaping the future of resource management and environmental sustainability in a world where secondary resources play an increasingly critical role. We invite you to share the rich possibilities that the recycling of mining and solid wastes present, forging a path toward a more resource-efficient and sustainable future.

Prof. Dr. Weslei Monteiro Ambros
Dr. Irineu Antonio Schadach Brum
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • recycling
  • secondary resources
  • solid wastes
  • urban mining
  • mining wastes
  • metallurgical wastes
  • construction and demolition waste
  • e-waste

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5122 KiB  
Article
Selective Leaching of Lithium and Beyond: Sustainable Eggshell-Mediated Recovery from Spent Li-Ion Batteries
by Hossein Shalchian, Maryam Khalili, Alireza Kiani-Rashid, Behzad Nateq and Francesco Vegliò
Minerals 2024, 14(11), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14111120 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 494
Abstract
This study introduces an innovative strategy for the selective leaching of lithium from spent Li-ion batteries. Based on thermodynamic assessments and exploiting waste eggshells as a source of calcium carbonate, an impressive 38% of lithium was dissolved selectively through mechanical milling and water [...] Read more.
This study introduces an innovative strategy for the selective leaching of lithium from spent Li-ion batteries. Based on thermodynamic assessments and exploiting waste eggshells as a source of calcium carbonate, an impressive 38% of lithium was dissolved selectively through mechanical milling and water leaching, outperforming conventional thermochemical methods. Afterwards, a hydrogen peroxide-assisted sulfuric acid leaching was also implemented to solubilize targeted elements (Mn, Co, Ni, and Li), with an exceptional 99% efficiency in Mn removal from the leachate using potassium permanganate and a pH range of 1.5 to 3.5. Selective separations of Co and Ni were then facilitated utilizing CYANEX 272 and n-heptane. This comprehensive study presents a promising and sustainable avenue for the effective recovery of Li and associated co-elements from spent lithium batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Mining and Solid Wastes)
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20 pages, 4378 KiB  
Article
A Comparison Study on the Recovery of REEs from Red Mud by Sulfation Roasting–Water Leaching and Citric Acid Leaching
by Hossein Shalchian, Mohsen Hajizadeh Navakh, Ionela Birloaga, Abolfazl Babakhani and Francesco Vegliò
Minerals 2024, 14(10), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14101044 - 18 Oct 2024
Viewed by 538
Abstract
In this study, the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from red mud (bauxite residue) was explored through a combination of citric acid leaching and sulfation roasting–water leaching processes, introducing an innovative approach to the field. The research uniquely investigates the influence of [...] Read more.
In this study, the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from red mud (bauxite residue) was explored through a combination of citric acid leaching and sulfation roasting–water leaching processes, introducing an innovative approach to the field. The research uniquely investigates the influence of citric acid on the leaching behavior of REEs and impurities in both untreated red mud and red mud subjected to sulfation roasting, providing a direct comparison of these methodologies. A novel aspect of this study is the evaluation of solvent extraction efficiency using DEHPA, highlighting the selective recovery of REEs over impurities from both citric acid and water-leaching solutions. Furthermore, a comprehensive phase analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD) was conducted to track the transformations of minerals during the sulfation roasting process, an original contribution to the literature. The findings revealed that over 85% of REEs and major elements such as Fe, Al, Ca, and Ti dissolved in water after sulfation at 105 °C, while iron and titanium dissolution significantly decreased following roasting at 725 °C. Importantly, terbium, neodymium, and gadolinium extraction efficiencies were notably affected by roasting temperature. Citric acid leaching results demonstrated that the direct leaching of red mud leads to higher leaching efficiency than leaching it after the roasting process. Solvent extraction demonstrated lower terbium and neodymium recovery from citric acid solutions compared to water leaching solution. Finally, stripping experiments illustrated that 6M H2SO4 solution is capable of stripping more than 80% of rare earth elements, except terbium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Mining and Solid Wastes)
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14 pages, 3808 KiB  
Article
Recovery of Demolished House Rocks from Construction and Demolition Waste with Water Jigs
by Artur Bressanelli Teixeira, Hassan Barkat, Carlos Hoffmann Sampaio and Josep Oliva Moncunill
Minerals 2024, 14(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010039 - 29 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1199
Abstract
The European Union (EU) is responsible for generating quantities ranging from 310 to almost 700 million tons of construction and demolition waste (CDW) per year. Consisting of over 70% inert material (concrete, ceramics, plaster, bricks, and rocks), CDW can be recycled for various [...] Read more.
The European Union (EU) is responsible for generating quantities ranging from 310 to almost 700 million tons of construction and demolition waste (CDW) per year. Consisting of over 70% inert material (concrete, ceramics, plaster, bricks, and rocks), CDW can be recycled for various uses, and studies on the concentration of the materials of interest are necessary to improve the management of this material and reduce waste. In CDW recycling plants in Spain, there is a significant presence of limestone from old houses (a common material used in civil construction before new construction materials and technologies emerged) that were demolished and mixed with CDW that can be recovered for use as aggregates in concretes with process density concentration processes such as water jigging. The jigging process is based on the difference in density between materials, allowing the concentration of the densest material at the bottom of the jig. Concrete, conventional construction bricks, and rocks from old houses were taken separately and then were crushed and mixed based on binary and ternary tests, and each test was performed in this study by applying the jigging separation method. The physical characterization tests of these materials was carried out to observe the jigging performance in the concentration of rocks as well as the aggregates present in concrete. Binary tests (with two different materials) and ternary tests (with three different materials) were carried out to analyze the concentration of particles with a density greater than 2.55 g/cm3. The efficiency of jigging in the concentration of these materials was proven, and products were generated with more than 70% recovery of this material, with a concentration comprised of more than 95% rocks and concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Mining and Solid Wastes)
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