Recent Advances in Mining and Metallurgy: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Mapping of Research Trends

Abstract

Mining and metallurgy are increasingly influenced by growing demand for critical metals, digitalization, and the transition toward sustainable and circular production systems. This study aimed to map recent advances, dominant research themes, methodological trends, and knowledge gaps across the interconnected fields of mining and metallurgy. A systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 framework was combined with bibliometric analysis and keyword mapping using VOSviewer. The review analyzed 55 Scopus-indexed open-access articles published between 2025 and 2026 across three journals. Five thematic clusters were identified: physical metallurgy, alloy engineering, and manufacturing; extractive metallurgy and hydrometallurgy; mineral processing, geochemistry, and deposit exploration; mining engineering, geotechnics, and safety; and artificial intelligence, automation, and process digitalization. Experimental characterization integrated with modelling emerged as the dominant research approach, while waste valorization, critical metal recovery, continuous monitoring, and artificial intelligence represented prominent research trends. However, the literature remained fragmented, with limited integration among extraction processes, materials design, environmental assessment, and industrial process control. Many automation and machine-learning applications were also validated primarily through laboratory-scale experiments or simulations. This study concludes that future development requires industrial-scale validation, life-cycle sustainability assessment, interoperable datasets, and cross-disciplinary digital twin frameworks that connect mineral extraction, metallurgical processing, and intelligent control systems to support more sustainable, efficient, and resilient resource production worldwide.