Towards Sustainable Deep Mining: A Knowledge Graph-Based Critical Review of Deep-Mine Cooling and Heat Hazard Management

Deep-mining operations are increasingly challenged by severe thermal hazards, which have become a critical bottleneck for achieving safe, efficient, and sustainable mineral extraction. While research on deep-mine cooling and heat hazard mitigation has proliferated, the field lacks a systematic, critical review that explicitly examines these advances through the lens of sustainability science. To address this gap, this study conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 432 publications (1994–2024) retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The methodology employs Bibliometrix, Vosviewer, and CiteSpace to map the intellectual landscape, research hotspots, and evolving frontiers of the field. The results reveal a clear three-stage development trajectory and identify China, the USA, South Africa, and Canada as leading contributors, with national research emphases on ventilation, energy conservation, and refrigeration, respectively. Crucially, keyword clustering and burst detection uncover a notable paradigm shift: the focus has moved from isolated cooling techniques toward integrated, multi-objective strategies—including geothermal energy co-exploitation, phase-change material applications, and system-level energy optimization—signaling a growing alignment with resource efficiency and low-carbon mining principles. However, a critical finding is that the literature remains predominantly techno-centric, overwhelmingly evaluating performance through operational energy savings while largely neglecting life-cycle environmental impacts, holistic sustainability assessment metrics, and the influence of policy drivers. This review thus not only provides a structured overview of the domain, but, more importantly, exposes these critical knowledge gaps. We argue that future research must pivot toward a multi-dimensional sustainability framework that integrates technical, economic, and environmental dimensions, thereby guiding the next generation of research toward truly sustainable deep-mining practices.