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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Chemical Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 January 2019) | Viewed by 13329

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Dr. Saeed Farrokhpay

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Chemical Engineering, The American University of the Middle East, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Interests: flotation; rheology; clays; nickel laterite; tailings; physical separation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The enormous growth in recent years in the demand for mineral resources, especially by highly-populated countries, such as China and India, has reinforced the importance of the sustainable use of mineral resources. Minerals are non–renewable natural resources that are very important and critical in our everyday lives, including construction, manufacturing, and energy industries. The aim of sustainable use of mineral resources is to ensure mineral use is kept to a minimum amount without having a negative impact on economic growth. This can be achieved by the efficient use of minerals, as well as recycling and using alternative materials.

This Special Issue focuses on mineral resource issues from sustainable development perspectives, attempting to identify domains where actions are required. There are a number of issues that will shape the sustainable use of mineral resources (e.g., technical challenges, technically, economical issues, environmental impacts and trends in globalization, cooperation with developing countries).

Dr. Saeed Farrokhpay
Guest Editor

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Keywords

mineral processing
flotation
tailings
mineral resources

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 9513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial and Quantitative Analysis of Waste from Rock Raw Minerals Mining: A Case Study of Lower Silesia Region in Poland

by Jan Blachowski, Urszula Kaźmierczak and Justyna Górniak-Zimroz

Sustainability 2018, 10(12), 4493; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124493 - 29 Nov 2018

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2645

Abstract

Mining of minerals is associated with waste that needs to be dealt with, e.g., safely deposited or, if possible, reused. From 2010 to 2016, 6,182,277 Mg of waste was deposited during mining of rock raw materials in the Lower Silesia region in Southwest Poland. Extraction activities were responsible for 46.95% of that waste, while mineral processing was responsible for 53.05% of that waste. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of waste resulting from mining rock raw minerals in Poland’s Lower Silesia region. In the study, an inventory of waste deposited during rock raw mineral mining and processing was prepared. Then, a geographic information systems (GIS) database that included information on the quantity and quality of waste generated during rock raw mineral mining and processing during the 2010–2016 study period was created. It was used for assessment of the variation of waste distribution and density in time and space with GIS kernel density estimation (KDE) functions. Spatial context of mining waste production and distribution over a period of 7 years in Lower Silesia were analyzed and presented graphically. The study revealed increasing accumulation of mining waste and helped to identify spatial clusters of its deposition in the region. Based on a literature study and the identified main waste types, the potential of selected types of this waste for re-use was analyzed and prospective uses were proposed. The methodology of quantitative and spatial analysis used in this research can be applied to studies in other regions coping with the problem of a large amount of mining waste. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Mineral Resources)

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15 pages, 887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Overview of Polish Mining Wastes with Circular Economy Model and Its Comparison with Other Wastes

by Justyna Woźniak and Katarzyna Pactwa

Sustainability 2018, 10(11), 3994; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10113994 - 01 Nov 2018

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4246

Abstract

This article discusses the main issues associated with waste from mining activity, which is the largest group of combined waste in Poland. A series of domestic and foreign solutions (practical and laboratory solutions) were indicated here, aimed at the management of waste in accordance with the tendency of circular economy (CE). In connection with the legislative changes, there is a need to resign from storage of the waste that is recyclable. The authors indicate mining waste as a potential for further studies, searching for solutions in regard to the use of waste as a raw material for sustainable, secondary use/reuse. Based on EUROSTAT data, the types of waste from mining and quarrying were grouped and the juxtaposition of all waste generated in Poland was implemented in the context of selected European economies. It was indicated which types of waste can be identified for reuse and management in accordance with CE. Rational management of mineral raw materials and therefore, maintaining of the level of extraction of domestic natural resources will contribute to maintaining not only energy independence, but also the leading position of Polish mining in the international aspect in the scope of extraction of metallic and rock raw materials. Mining waste can be and is reused in accordance with the concept of CE, which was showed through the example of domestic industry enterprises and their business models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Mineral Resources)

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23 pages, 10043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in the Distribution of Temperature in a Coal Deposit and the Composition of Gases Emitted during Its Heating and Cooling

by Marek Więckowski, Natalia Howaniec, Eugene B. Postnikov, Mirosław Chorążewski and Adam Smoliński

Sustainability 2018, 10(10), 3587; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103587 - 09 Oct 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2109

Abstract

This article presents the results of tests conducted on a measuring system for monitoring changes in the distribution of temperature in a coal deposit during the heating and cooling phases, and their correlation with the analysis of the concentration of gases. The tests were conducted on five samples of hard coal collected in deposits mined in Poland. Measurements of the changes in temperature and changes in gas concentration were conducted from the temperature of 35 to 300 °C, for the heating phase, and from 300 to 35 °C, for the cooling phase. The percentage share of coal of given temperatures was calculated. When comparing the percentage share for the same temperature in the hot spot, for the heating and cooling phase, significant differences in the distribution of the given percentages were observed. Changes in gas concentrations during heating and cooling were analyzed and the dynamics of changes in gas concentrations were determined for the coals tested. Changes in the values of fire hazard indices were analyzed. There were significant differences in the concentration of gases and the values of fire hazard indices between the heating and the cooling phase. The application of different criteria to assess coal during heating and cooling was proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Mineral Resources)

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