Surface complexation models (SCMs) have been widely used to study mineral surface adsorption and solution, especially for (hydr)oxide and phylloaluminosilicate minerals. Surface functional groups are basic units of surface complexation reactions of minerals. (Hydr)oxide minerals possess surface hydroxyl groups only and phylloaluminosilicate minerals have ion-bearing exchange sites in addition to surface hydroxyl groups. Surface charges on minerals consists of permanent structural charge,coordinative surface charge and dissociated surface charge. A variety of zero surface charge conditions could be presented with different types of points of zero charge. The constant capacitance model (CCM),the double layer model (DLM) and the triple layer model (TLM) are three most commonly used SCMs.Among them, some differences existed in their electrical double layer structures, surface reactions ( protolysis and surface complexation), surface charge and mass balance equations, and range of application.