Journal profile · Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Hydrometallurgy
ISSN 0304-386X · eISSN 1879-1158 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1975
Hydrometallurgy: CAS Zone 2 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,350; review about 221 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 52%); 144 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Hydrometallurgy is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Extraction and Separation Processes, Metal Extraction and Bioleaching and Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques, together about 57.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An International Journal devoted to all aspects of the Aqueous Processing of MetalsHydrometallurgy aims to compile studies on novel processes, process design, chemistry, modelling, control, economics and interfaces between unit operations, and to provide a forum for discussions on case histories and operational difficulties.Topics covered include: leaching of metal values by chemical reagents or bacterial action at ambient or elevated pressures and temperatures; separation of solids from leach liquors; removal of impurities and recovery of metal values by precipitation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, gaseous reduction, cementation, electro-winning and electro-refining; pre-treatment of ores by roasting or chemical treatments such as halogenation or reduction; recycling of reagents and treatment of effluents.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Editor-in-chief Gamini SenanayakePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 7%); most named Australia 6, South Africa 6, Canada 5, Mainland China 3, United States 3 (42 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Extraction and Separation ProcessesEngineering24.4%
- Metal Extraction and BioleachingEngineering21.1%
- Minerals Flotation and Separation TechniquesEnvironmental Science12.5%
- Radioactive element chemistry and processingChemistry5.9%
- Recycling and Waste Management TechniquesEnvironmental Science3.5%
- Mine drainage and remediation techniquesEnvironmental Science3.5%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance2.3%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering2.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.03LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.61LetPub ·
- h-index
- 95LetPub ·
- h-index
- 170OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,035OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.92OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.51%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 134LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,951 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 237 | 59 | 201 |
| 2025 | 144 | 35 | 817 |
| 2024 | 127 | 48 | 1,479 |
| 2023 | 191 | 47 | 3,574 |
| 2022 | 175 | 29 | 3,441 |
| 2021 | 179 | 31 | 5,233 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
221 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 2.2 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 2.2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 52%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 50 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 221 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,350 / EUR 4,070 / GBP 3,480 / JPY 539,530 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,480 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Submission declaration: work not published previously (except preprint, abstract, lecture, thesis, registered report); not under consideration elsewhere; approved by all authors; not published elsewhere in same form without consent. Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data statement required at submission stating availability of data. Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open access options available via the publisher's open access information page. Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process; submissions initially assessed by editors; suitable submissions sent to a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the decision. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed per Elsevier policy; does not count as prior publication; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1975
- ISSN
- 0304-386X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-1158
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Hydrometallurgy
What CAS zone is Hydrometallurgy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Hydrometallurgy is in Zone 2 of Materials Science, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Hydrometallurgy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.21; CiteScore 10.6, h-index 170.
How long does peer review take at Hydrometallurgy?
The publisher reports about 221 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 2.2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 52%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Hydrometallurgy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Hydrometallurgy based?
Of the 42 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 7%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Australia (6), South Africa (6) and Canada (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Hydrometallurgy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Hydrometallurgy is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Hydrometallurgy open access, and what is the APC?
Hydrometallurgy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,350.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .