Minerals and Mineral Materials: Happy Birthday!

Our esteemed publication, Minerals and Mineral Materials, commemorates its inaugural issue released in 2022, marking its first anniversary, alongside celebrating its third year since inception. On this auspicious occasion, the Editorial Office extends its earnest appreciation to the authors, readers, and each prestigious editorial board member and youth editorial committee member for your attentive consideration towards the journal and steadfast support throughout its developmental trajectory.

Over the past year, Minerals and Mineral Materials proudly joined the ranks of esteemed organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and STM (International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers). Furthermore, we have fostered collaborations with the 12th China Congress on Particle Technology. Additionally, we have forged partnerships with renowned experts from the Colorado School of Mines, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and Central South University. Notably, all published articles have been duly indexed by reputable databases including Google Scholar, Dimensions, and Lens, with further aspirations for inclusion in CAS, J-GATE, EBSCO, INSPEC, ESCI, and Scopus, among others.

Since its inception in January 2022, Minerals and Mineral Materials has disseminated 28 scholarly works of paramount quality. This compendium encompasses various formats including Editorials, Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-review, News, Interviews, and Features. Notably, these contributions have garnered substantial attention, accumulating 23,919 views and 9,263 downloads. Our revered webinar series, notably the session themed “2D Materials: production applications and perspectives” chaired by Prof. Mildred Quintana from Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico, exemplified our commitment to scholarly discourse, attracting over 15,000 participants. Furthermore, the subsequent webinar focusing on “Rare Earth Elements (REE)”, chaired by Prof. Saman Ilankoon from Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia Campus, featuring distinguished speakers such as Dr. Nabeel Mancheri from Rare Earth Industry Association (REIA), Belgium, Prof. V. Balaram from CSIR - National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), India and Dr. Nimila Dushyantha from Department of Applied Earth Sciences, Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka, garnered an unprecedented attendance of over 30,000, reaffirming our global reach and impact. We express our sincerest gratitude to our dedicated editorial staff, section editors, and youthful editorial committee members for their unwavering commitment and diligence.

In a testament to our journal’s burgeoning influence, we have expanded our international Editorial Board, now comprising 45 members hailing from 17 countries, complemented by 9 Youth Editorial Board Members.

Looking ahead, Minerals and Mineral Materials is poised for further diversification with the introduction of 15 Special Issues covering an array of topics including “Advance of Mineral Materials for Wastewater Treatment”, “Coal and Coal-series Resources Upgrading”, “Utilizing Surface and Interface Chemistry in Mineral Separation and Extraction of Elements”, “Exploring the Prospects of Mineral Resources: Catalytic and Energy Materials”, “Case Studies Demonstrating Effective Remediation of Acidic or Metalliferous Drainage at Mine Sites”, “Graphite Mineralogy and its Utilization in Emerging Materials Industries”, and “Resources Associated with Coal and Their Extraction and Utilization”. We eagerly anticipate your scholarly contributions as we strive to provide comprehensive coverage of the latest developments in Chemistry.

As we commemorate this significant milestone in the history of our journal, we extend our profound gratitude to our respected authors for their invaluable contributions and trust. We also extend heartfelt appreciation to our diligent reviewers for their expertise and unwavering dedication throughout the rigorous review process, a testament to their scientific professionalism. Indeed, the success of Minerals and Mineral Materials is indebted to the collective efforts of our authors, reviewers, and editorial staff.

In the past 4 issues of 2023, readers will find one exemplary review article elucidating pivotal topics in recent developments in quartz marketing, impurity Analysis, and purification^[1]. One review delves into nanoscale interactions between bubbles and minerals: understanding interfacial mechanisms, authored by the distinguished team led by Prof. Lei Xie from the School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University^[2]. Another noteworthy contribution explores improving 3D montmorillonite aerogel/SA composite phase change materials, authored by Dr. Hao Yi and Prof. Feifei Jia from the School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology^[3].

Additionally, the last issue of 2023 features two research articles, including a study on processes using anion exchange membrane electrolysis authored by Prof. Daxue Fu from Key Laboratory for Ecological Utilization of Multimetallic Mineral (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, China^[4], another research authored by Prof. Luzheng Chen’s team at Faculty of Land Resource Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology underscores mechanisms of high-Gradient magnetic separation for chalcopyrite-molybdenite separation: innovative strategies for molybdenite removal from chalcopyrite^[5].

Minerals and Mineral Materials remains steadfast in pursuing groundbreaking discoveries and profound scientific insights. With concerted efforts from our editorial team, we remain committed to advancing chemical research and fostering scholarly discourse. We eagerly anticipate your continued engagement as we collectively endeavor to realize the vision of Minerals and Mineral Materials.

In conclusion, we extend warm wishes for a promising and prosperous journey to all our honored readers and contributors.