Green Technologies in Critical Mineral Recovery for Energy Transition

In recent years, the critical role of raw materials in renewable energy technologies has come to the fore, spotlighting the dual challenges of diminishing primary sources and escalating demands. As essential components in technologies ranging from electric vehicle batteries to photovoltaic cells, materials like cobalt, indium, and rare earth elements are under increasing pressure due to their integral role in the green energy transition. However, the finite nature and geographic concentration of these materials pose significant supply risks, highlighting the need for transformative approaches in their extraction and reuse.

This Research Topic aims to address these challenges by fostering the development of innovative extraction technologies and promoting sustainable practices that align with the principles of a circular economy. Through high-quality research contributions, this issue seeks to explore novel methodologies that enhance the efficiency of critical material recovery, reduce environmental impacts, and integrate secondary material streams back into the economic cycle.

To push the boundaries of current knowledge and practice, this Research Topic invites submissions on innovative topics, including but not limited to:

• Urban mining for critical raw material production.
• Development and application of greener technology in critical minerals extraction.
• Multiple metallurgical approaches (hydro, pyro, biohydrometallurgy) to recover metals from low-grade ores.
• Metal recovery from industrial residues such as tailings, slags, and mineral processing wastes.
• Exploration and valorization of low-grade mineral resources.
• Organic acid applications in metal extraction from electronic and mining waste.
• Advanced membrane technologies for the purification and separation of critical materials.
• CO2 capture and recycling efforts that complement critical mineral recovery processes.

By addressing these topics, the Research Topic aims to contribute significantly to the expanding field of sustainable mining practices, fostering a synergistic relationship between sustainable development and the critical minerals necessary for a future powered by green energy.

Guiding event: leading up to the submission deadline, the guest editor Dr. Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior, in collaboration with Frontiers staff, organized a webinar with experts discussing topics related to the call for submissions. Watch it here.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: urban mining, green process, wastless mining, critical raw material

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.