Processes of extracting mineral deposits in ore include treating a saline source, e.g., seawater, to reduce a concentration of one or more multivalent ions (e.g., Ca.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, SO.sub.4.sup.2−) dissolved in the saline source by passing the seawater through one or more nanofilters to produce treated saline water while maintain a certain concentration of dissolved monovalent ions (e.g., (Na.sup.+, K.sup.+ and Cl.sup.−) in the treated saline water. The treated saline water can be used in an operation to extract minerals from ore such as in a flotation operation to extract minerals from ore, or to consolidate tailings generated from an extraction of minerals from ore, or both.

The disclosure is directed to a sulfidizing agent obtainable by mixing M.sub.yS.sub.x and ZSH in a weight ratio of from about 90:10 to about 10:90, wherein M is chosen from Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, Cs.sup.+, NH.sub.4.sup.+, Mg.sup.2+ and Ca.sup.2+, y is about 1 or about 2, x is from about 1.1 to about 5, and Z is independently chosen from Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, Cs.sup.+ and NH.sub.4.sup.+, and a process for using the sulfidizing agent in the recovery of one or more metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals from gangue.

The disclosure is directed to a sulfidizing agent obtainable by mixing M.sub.yS.sub.x and ZSH in a weight ratio of from about 90:10 to about 10:90, wherein M is chosen from Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, Cs.sup.+, NH.sub.4.sup.+, Mg.sup.2+ and Ca.sup.2+, y is about 1 or about 2, x is from about 1.1 to about 5, and Z is independently chosen from Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, Cs.sup.+ and NH.sub.4.sup.+, and a process for using the sulfidizing agent in the recovery of one or more metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals from gangue.

An ore dressing process for medium-grade and low-grade mixed collophanite includes the following steps: S1; crushing ores to obtain crushed ores; S2: screening the crushed ores to obtain fine-fraction ores and coarse-fraction ores divided into at least two size fractions; S3: performing a photoelectric separation to the coarse-fraction ores of different size fractions to obtain photoelectric separation concentrates and photoelectric separation tailings of each size fraction; S4: combining the photoelectric separation concentrates of the each size fraction to obtain pre-enriched concentrates; S5: combining the fine-fraction ores and the pre-enriched concentrates, and then performing an ore grinding to obtain minerals to be separated; S6: adding water to the minerals to be separated to obtain a floatation pulp, and then performing a floatation to obtain phosphate concentrates and tailings.

An ore dressing process for medium-grade and low-grade mixed collophanite includes the following steps: S1; crushing ores to obtain crushed ores; S2: screening the crushed ores to obtain fine-fraction ores and coarse-fraction ores divided into at least two size fractions; S3: performing a photoelectric separation to the coarse-fraction ores of different size fractions to obtain photoelectric separation concentrates and photoelectric separation tailings of each size fraction; S4: combining the photoelectric separation concentrates of the each size fraction to obtain pre-enriched concentrates; S5: combining the fine-fraction ores and the pre-enriched concentrates, and then performing an ore grinding to obtain minerals to be separated; S6: adding water to the minerals to be separated to obtain a floatation pulp, and then performing a floatation to obtain phosphate concentrates and tailings.

Methods for niobium concentration from a carbonatite host rock are presented. A basic process for niobium mineral concentration involves performing niobium mineral flotation, on a sufficiently liberated ore slurry, using at one least aromatic hydroxamate collector; and at least one lead salt as a performance modifier. A more optimized process further includes dispersion. A further optimized process includes: magnetic separation, dispersion, sulphide removal, fine suspended particle removal, and niobium cleaner flotation stages. The use of one of number of tested lead salts during flotation improves the yield, and lowers the cost as a significantly lower amount of the collector is required. The process is useful for recovering a variety of species of niobium minerals such as fersmite, pyrochlore, columbite, fergusonite, niobium-containing rutile, and niobium-containing ilmenite.

A flotation process for treating coal slime in which coal slime, a collecting agent and a frothing agent are fed into an ore slurry pretreater, and salt-containing waste water of coal chemical industry discharged from a coal chemical enterprise is fed as dilution water into the ore slurry pretreater and mixed together to complete mineralization; the mineralized ore slurry is subjected to a rough separation operation, the products obtained in the rough separation operation are subjected to a fine separation operation, and the ash content of the fine separation tailings is tested with an ash analyzer; the tailings are returned into the ore slurry pretreater for separation again if the ash content of the fine separation tailings is greater than 20%; otherwise the tailings are discharged as fine separation tailing products if the ash content of the fine separation tailings is smaller than 20%; the fine separation tailing products discharged through a pipeline enter into a pressure filter for dehydration, and filter cakes are discharged as a finally accepted concentrate product after the dehydration in the pressure filter.

A flotation process for treating coal slime in which coal slime, a collecting agent and a frothing agent are fed into an ore slurry pretreater, and salt-containing waste water of coal chemical industry discharged from a coal chemical enterprise is fed as dilution water into the ore slurry pretreater and mixed together to complete mineralization; the mineralized ore slurry is subjected to a rough separation operation, the products obtained in the rough separation operation are subjected to a fine separation operation, and the ash content of the fine separation tailings is tested with an ash analyzer; the tailings are returned into the ore slurry pretreater for separation again if the ash content of the fine separation tailings is greater than 20%; otherwise the tailings are discharged as fine separation tailing products if the ash content of the fine separation tailings is smaller than 20%; the fine separation tailing products discharged through a pipeline enter into a pressure filter for dehydration, and filter cakes are discharged as a finally accepted concentrate product after the dehydration in the pressure filter.

The present invention relates to functionalized hollow glass microspheres for recovering fine hydrophobic particles, and to their preparation method. The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the method for preparing the functionalized microspheres, to a method for selectively recovering fine material and, lastly, to the use of the microspheres in the separation of, inter alia, minerals, micro drops of organic materials, plastics, and pollutants.

The present invention relates to functionalized hollow glass microspheres for recovering fine hydrophobic particles, and to their preparation method. The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the method for preparing the functionalized microspheres, to a method for selectively recovering fine material and, lastly, to the use of the microspheres in the separation of, inter alia, minerals, micro drops of organic materials, plastics, and pollutants.