2023 Annual Report of Minerals and Mineral Materials

Minerals and Mineral Materials (MMM, Online ISSN 2832-269X) covers all scales of research works linked to mining, mineral processing, environmental engineering, and mineral materials in scientific and engineering aspects.

The year 2023 marked significant progress for the MMM Journal, successfully completing the publishing tasks for all four quarters. The steady development of the journal is attributed to the leadership of Prof. Shaoxian Song, the Editor-in-Chief, the support from the Editorial Board, reviewers, and readers, and the efforts of the Editorial Office.

The important footprints and details of MMM are summarized:

Issue:

On 15 Mar 2023, Volume 2, Issue 1 was officially online.      
On 30 Jun 2023, Volume 2, Issue 2 was officially online.      
On 30 Sep 2023, Volume 2, Issue 3 was officially online.      
On 29 Nov 2023, Volume 2, Issue 4 was officially online.

Special Issue:

On 20 Jan 2023, Prof. Zenixole Richman Tshentu curated Special Issue The Future of Mineral Materials – Catalytic Materials and Energy Materials.      
On 15 Apr 2023, Hon. Prof. Andrea Gerson curated Special Issue Successful Mine Site Acid and/or Metalliferous Drainage Remediation Case Studies.      
On 20 Apr 2023, Prof. Corby G Anderson curated Special Issue Metallurgical Technology - From Science to Process.      
On 20 May 2023, Prof. Zheng-Hong Huang curated Special Issue Mineralogical Properties of Graphite and Its Application in the New Materials Industry.      
On 20 Jul 2023, Prof. Fanfei Min curated Special Issue Synthesis, Characterization and Utilization of Clay and Clay Composites.      
On 15 Aug 2023, Dr. Wencai Zhang and Dr. Biao Fu jointly curated Special Issue Coal-related Resources and Their Recovery and Applications.      
On 15 Sep 2023, Dr. Liuyi Ren and Dr. Jay Chen jointly curated Special Issue Performance, Efficiency and Optimization of Flotation Reagents.      
On 20 Sep 2023, Dr. Subramanian Natarajan curated Special Issue Recycling of Valuable Metals from Waste Batteries.      
On 20 Oct 2023, Prof. Jianying Shang curated Special Issue Environmental Remediation Based on Mineral Materials.      
On 20 Nov 2023, Prof. Yaowen Xing curated Special Issue Coal and Coal-series Resources Upgrading.      
On 25 Dec 2023, Prof. Lei Xie and Prof. Chenyang Zhang curated Special Issue Surface and Interface Chemistry Applied to Mineral Separation and Element Extraction.

Webinar:

On 20 Feb 2023, Prof. Sadia Ilyas organized the first webinar Recycling to Mitigate the Supply Risk of Critical Raw Minerals, having attracted more than 50,000 viewers online.

On 18 Apr 2023, Dr. J. Viridiana García Meza organized an academic report From Biofilms to Proteins in Bacteria from Mining Environments, Acidithiobacillus, having attracted more than 30,000 viewers online.

On 28 Jul 2023, Dr. Saman Ilankoon organized the webinar Current Rare Earth Industry, Key Stakeholders and Opportunities with Primary and Secondary Resources, having attracted more than 50,000 viewers online.

Sustainable recovery of energy critical metals from spent Li-ion batteries

Driving the Renewable Energy Transition: Current Rare Earth Industry, Key Stakeholders and Opportunities with Primary and Secondary Resources

Editorial Board:

We invited 10 new Editorial Board members to join us in 2023. The total 46 Editorial Board members are from 19 countries/regions, including China (37%), Mexico (8%), Australia (7%), South Africa (4%), South Korea (4%), the United States (4%), and 35% other countries/regions.

New Editorial Board members

1. Anh V. Nguyen
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

2. Yaowen Xing
Chinese National Engineering Research Center of Coal Preparation and Purification, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.

3. Chenyang Zhang
School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

4. Chunquan Li
School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing, China.

5. Songbo Li
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineerin Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.

6. Sebnem Duzgun
Department of Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA.

7. Zhao Cao
School of Mining and Coal Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

8. Kun Liu
School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

9. Liuyi Ren
Department of Mineral Processing and Materials, Wuhan University of Technology Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

10. Hongbo Zhao
School of Minerals Processing & Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

As we approach the close of 2023, MMM boasts a repertoire of 25 published articles. This collection encompasses 10 research articles, 9 reviews, 1 mini-review, and 5 editorials. Impressively, these articles have garnered a grand total of 20,980 views and have been downloaded 8,667 times throughout the course of the year.

In aspects of Special Issue, MMM has forged collaborations with expert contributors hailing from diverse nations, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and South Africa. This partnership spans the entire spectrum of mineral extraction, extending to their applications in industrial production. In a strategic move in 2004, a dedicated Special Issue was established, honing in on the hot topics within the mineral domain. Against the dynamic backdrop of “carbon neutrality” and the “pursuit of carbon peak goals”, the burgeoning new energy sector is unfurling novel opportunities. At the forefront of global attention now is the clean processing and sustainable utilization of minerals as the world grapples with these pivotal aspects of industrial evolution.

Alongside our already scheduled quarterly online seminars, MMM is set to introduce an array of enhancements in the upcoming year, including more in-depth featured interviews and collaborations with offline conferences.

By amplifying featured interviews, our aim is to delve deeply into the professional insights and experiences within this field, presenting readers with exceptionally rich and diverse content. Collaborating with offline conferences is envisioned not just to foster academic exchange but also to significantly amplify the journal's impact and prominence.

These strategic moves are designed to comprehensively propel the journal's advancement within the realm of minerals and mineral materials.

Editor: Yirong Yan
Language Editor: Emma Chen
Production Editor: Yan Zhang
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Minerals and Mineral Materials