Dear Colleagues,

The phosphate mining industry generates significant amounts of waste, including materials produced during extraction, beneficiation, and transformation processes. These waste products, often stored in tailing ponds and waste rock piles, pose a significant problem in terms of storage capacity and can have negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to implement effective management strategies that not only address the disposal of mining waste but also promote the development of a circular economy.

Phosphate mine waste materials have been found to be chemically stable and inert. Due to their composition, waste rocks have characteristics similar to those of clay, sand, and aggregate, commonly used in the construction industry. This has led researchers to explore the potential of utilizing these waste materials to produce construction materials such as fired bricks. With increasing dependence on natural resources in the construction industry, and a growing emphasis on the circular economy, the management and valorization of mining waste has become a primary concern for governments and industry alike.

Valorization or recycling is a highly valuable management strategy for inert mine wastes, particularly in the case of phosphate mining. Utilizing these waste materials as raw materials in the construction industry offers a promising solution for environmental concerns. This approach not only reduces the volume of waste requiring disposal on mining sites, but also minimizes the depletion of natural resources.

This Special Issue aims to present a comprehensive overview of recent management techniques for phosphate mine waste, including the replacement of primary raw materials with secondary resources. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the characterization of industrial and mining waste, landfilling, underground backfilling, reprocessing for metal recovery or environmental purposes, and valorization in various sectors. The contributions will provide insights for scientists, industry stakeholders, and governments to address the challenges and find the best management practices for phosphate mine waste in the future.

Main topics:

• Problems around by-products and phosphate mine wastes
• Accurate characterization of phosphate mine wastes
• Latest available technical and environmental solutions to efficiently manage both types of waste—treatment and processing before disposal
• High-value element recovery from industrial and mining wastes, towards defining effective, low cost and ecofriendly methods
• Recycling of industrial and phosphate mining wastes as alternative resources in different sectors
• Development minerals
• Laboratory-, pilot- and/or industrial-scale studies related to these topics
• Circular economy and life cycle assessment

Prof. Dr. Rachid Hakkou
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Loutou
Dr. Yassine Taha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• phosphate mine waste
• environmental characterization
• treatment, stabilization, reprocessing and recycling
• integrated management
• valorization
• materials chemistry and the environment