A process of flotation of partially or fully liberated metal-bearing or industrial minerals, hydrocarbon matter, oil or bitumen from an ore includes combining an indifferent salt to a flotation system to increase efficiency of the flotation process as well as the subsequent flotation concentrate and tailings solid-liquid separation.

A method of extracting precious metal values from a starting material using thiosulphate as a lixiviant. The precious metal values can be recovered from solution using a reductant. The reductant may be a naturally occurring ore including as a component pyrite, chalcopyrite, marcasite and/or pyrrhotite, or can be ferrous sulphate. Sodium hydrosulphide can be added as a scavenging precipitant after the reductant to regenerate thiosulphate. The thiosulphate can be recycled to leach additional precious metal values.

The invention relates to a flotation agent of formula (I):

##STR00001## where A is chosen from: (II), (III), or (IV):

##STR00002## in which: the group R represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl radical; the group R, which is identical or different from the group R, represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl radical; the group R, which is identical or different from the groups R and R, represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl radical; n is an integer between 1 and 6; m is an integer between 1 and 20; Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2, are chosen independently from X.sub.1 or a radical C(S)SX.sub.2, wherein X.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal, and X.sub.2 is an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal.

A collector composition comprising (a) refined tall oil wherein the refined tall oil is any tall oil that has been subjected to one or more refining or processing steps that results in an increase in acid value; and (b) a fatty acid wherein the refined tall oil has an acid value of at least 90 mg KOH/g and a weight average molecular weight of at least 750 g/mol. A mineral slurry comprising (a) an ore comprising a mineral of interest; (b) a collector composition comprising (i) a refined tall oil; and (ii) a fatty acid; and (c) a liquid. A method for the beneficiation of an ore, the method comprising (a) preparing a slurry comprising the ore dispersed in a liquid; (b) contacting the slurry with a collector composition comprising a refined tall oil; and (c) recovering a beneficiated ore.

The present invention relates to flotation of sulfidic copper-molybdenum- and gold-containing minerals. More specifically, the invention relates to sulfoxy reagent-assisted floatation for separating of sulfides of copper, molybdenum and gold from pyrite, marcasite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and other gangue minerals following aerating by an oxidizing gas and contacting by a sulfoxy reagent. To promote collection and flotation the feed mineral materials are preferably not contacted with an externally generated non-oxidizing gas to lower the dissolved molecular oxygen content prior to flotation.

Provided is a method of beneficiating an ore including contacting an ore with a compound represented by formula (1):

##STR00001##

where the structural variables are defined herein.

The present invention relates to the use for ore beneficiation, of at least one derivative of alkoxylated (polyester)amine.

The present invention also relates to the flotation pulp and the tailings comprising said product useful for ore beneficiation.

The present invention relates to a process for the separation of at least one hydrophobic or hydrophobized material from a dispersion comprising said at least one hydrophobic or hydrophobized material and at least one second material. The process according to the present invention comprises the steps (A) to (D) which are described herein.

Methods of enhancing recovery of value sulfide and/or precious-metal minerals from an ore containing said minerals and a Mg-silicate, slime forming mineral, and/or clay, and which is subjected to a froth flotation process, by adding to one or more stage of the froth flotation process a froth phase modifier having a polymer containing one or more functional groups, and optionally a monovalent ion modifier enhancing agent, thereby enhancing recovery of a value sulfide mineral and/or a precious metal-bearing mineral.

This invention relates to a process for recovering valuable metals from ore with significantly reduced water consumption through the discrete treatment and storage of coarse tailings. Ore is ground to produce a coarse particulate ore. The coarse particulate ore is treated in a coarse flotation stage to produce a low grade concentrate fraction and a coarse tailings fraction. The low grade concentrate fraction is treated to produce fine tailings and a saleable concentrate. The coarse tailings are treated separately from the fine tailings and water is recovered from the coarse tailings by hydraulically stacking; filtering or screening, whereafter the coarse tailings are dry stacked, without being recombined with the fine tailings.