随着我国矿产资源的开发利用，矿产资源开发难度增大、矿山固废处理困难等严重制约了矿物加工工程绿色、经济、高效和可持续发展。为促进矿物加工学科深入发展，部分研究者立足行业发展需要，尝试借鉴其他学科领域理论和方法开展研究工作，以期实现矿物加工学科理论及工程技术的升级与创新，并最终服务于工业实践。作为一门非线性科学，分形理论广泛应用于自然界中各类无规则现象研究。在矿物加工领域，研究者基于分形理论研究了诸多工艺环节(包括矿石拣选、矿石碎磨、调浆、矿物浮选、沉降、过滤等)中的多种分形现象，相关研究成果为解耦矿物加工工艺环节过程、阐明相关机理、实现选别过程调控与参数优化奠定了重要基础。但总体而言，目前分形理论在矿物加工领域部分工艺环节中的应用多停留在理论研究和试验阶段，大部分研究成果尚未应用于生产实践，且研究者们对分形理论及其在矿物加工领域的应用途径和前景仍缺乏全面深刻的认识，阻碍了矿物加工领域分形理论研究的发展。因此，分形理论在矿物加工领域相关研究的广度及深度仍有较大发展空间。从分形理论的基本定义出发，针对矿物加工工艺中部分具有自相似性等分形特征的单元环节，根据环境干湿程度、矿石颗粒粒度以及是否涉及微细矿物颗粒混凝过程等条件，将各单元环节分为“矿石拣选、碎磨及过滤”、“调浆−浮选与絮体沉降”2部分进行研究，在介绍不同工艺环节中各类分形现象及其变化规律的同时，总结其中分形理论应用基础研究发展动态，重点分析了基于分形理论的矿浆混凝行为研究的相关问题，并根据现有研究，展望了分形理论未来在矿浆混凝理论研究以及选矿数字化、智能化生产过程中的发展方向。

With the exploitation of mineral resources, some problems, such as the difficulty of mineral resources development and the difficulty of mine solid waste treatment, have seriously restricted the green, economic, efficient and sustainable development of mineral processing. In order to promote the in-depth development of mineral processing, some researchers try to draw lessons in theories and methodologies from other disciplines in their mineral processing related studies. With the aim of meeting the development needs of mineral processing industry, these explorations and attempts are expected to benefit the upgradation and innovation of the theory and research methods in mineral processing, which is therefore conductive to the industrial practices. Fractal theory, a typical nonlinear science, is widely used in the study of various irregular phenomena in nature. In mineral processing field, some researches have studied various fractal phenomena in many technological links throughout the whole process (including the ore sorting, crushing and grinding, pulp conditioning and flotation, sedimentation, filtration, etc.). Relevant research results have laid an important foundation for decoupling some technological processes in mineral processing, clarifying the underlying mechanisms, and realizing the regulation and optimization of beneficiation processes. In general, the application of fractal theory in some technological links in the mineral processing field is still at the theoretical research and experimental stage, most of the research results have not been applied to production practice. Some researchers, meanwhile, lack a comprehensive and profound understanding of fractal theory and its application approaches and prospects in the mineral processing, which hinders the research and development of fractal theory in mineral processing. Therefore, there is still much room for the development of fractal theory in the breadth and depth of related research in the mineral processing field. From the perspective of the basic definition of fractal theory, this review focuses on some unit links with fractal characteristics, such as self-similarity in mineral processing technology. It divides each unit link into “ore sorting, grinding and filtering” and “slurry mixing flotation and floc sedimentation” for research according to the conditions, such as the degree of dryness and humidity of the environment, the size of ore particles and whether the coagulation process of fine mineral particles is involved. While introducing various fractal phenomena and their changing laws in different process links, the development trends of basic research on the application of fractal theory are deeply summarized, focusing on the relevant problems of slurry coagulation behavior research based on fractal theory. According to the existing research, the development direction of fractal theory in the future of slurry coagulation theory research, as well as in the digital and intelligent production process of mineral processing is prospected.