A method for improving the rheological properties of mineral slurry comprising adding a copolymeric dispersing agent to the slurry to disperse silicate minerals. Also disclosed is a method for flotating mineral slurry.

The invention is related to a flotation process using an improved collector to remove alkaline earth metal carbonate impurities from phosphate ores. The flotation feed may be conditioned with the improved carbonate collector at acidic pH, and subjected to a reverse flotation. The cell overflow may be collected as waste in which carbonate minerals dominate, and the cell underflow may be the phosphate concentrate. The collector may be a combination of chemicals, comprising: (1) any kind of fatty acids, either conventional fatty acid, saponified fatty acid, or modified fatty acid; (2) chemicals with sulfonate or sulfate groups, such as dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA) or its salt, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium coco sulfate (SCS), etc.; and (3) phosphorous-bearing chemicals, such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), sodium hexametaphosphate (SFMP), trisodium phosphate (TSP), Tetrasodiumpyrophosphate (TSPP), etc. With the improved collector, the separation selectivity and phosphate recovery may be significantly improved.

The invention provides methods and compositions for improving a froth flotation type separation. The method uses a microemulsion to improve the effectiveness of a frother. The improvement allows for low dosages of frother to work as well as much greater amounts of non-microemulsified frother.

A method for froth-controlled flotation of argillaceous lepidolite ore, including: crushing and grinding an ore, adding water to obtain pulp; adding agents thereto, and conducting roughing to obtain roughing concentrate and roughing tailing; adding agents to the roughing tailing, and conducting first scavenging to obtain first scavenging concentrate and first scavenging tailing; subjecting the first scavenging tailing to second scavenging to obtain second scavenging concentrate and second scavenging tailing; adding agents to the roughing concentrate, conducting first cleaning to obtain first cleaning concentrate and first cleaning tailing; subjecting the first cleaning concentrate to second cleaning to obtain lithium concentrate I and second cleaning tailing; combining the first scavenging concentrate, second scavenging concentrate, first cleaning tailing, and second cleaning tailing to obtain lithium-containing mixed middling, adding agents thereto, and conducting cleaning-scavenging to obtain lithium concentrate II and cleaning-scavenging tailing; and combining the lithium concentrate I and lithium the concentrate II.

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 present invention relates to stable ionic xanthate compositions in aqueous solution for prolonged periods of time that are useful as collector reagents in the froth flotation process. The stable ionic xanthates of the present invention are dissolved in aqueous solution at their maximum water solubility (28-30%), being highly stable and safe ionic products, preventing the instability and flammability of the solid products which allows safe handling, both for operators in mining work and for the environment.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from an aqueous or oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is used in the presence of a source of alkalinity or anionic reactant as well as surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate multiply charged cation and suspended solids removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from an aqueous or oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is used in the presence of a source of alkalinity or anionic reactant as well as surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate multiply charged cation and suspended solids removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

Disclosed is an application of a class of selenium-containing organic compounds in copper sulfide flotation collectors, including organic compound with selenium atoms as functional groups and containing single selenium atom or multiple selenium atoms, where the organic compound with selenium atoms as functional groups and containing single selenium atom or multiple selenium atoms includes but not limited to selenophene, phenylselenol and diselenide as copper collectors; and a class of organic compound containing selenium atoms combined with nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and carbon, where the class of organic compound containing selenium atoms combined with nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and carbon includes but not limited to selenomethyl ester, carbonyl selenomethyl ester, oxycarbonyl selenomethyl ester, selenourea, selenium nitrogen, selenoxanthonic acid, selenoxanthate, selenophosphoric acid, selenium phosphate ester, triphenylphosphine selenide, all kinds of benzoselenediazole molecules as copper collectors.

Disclosed is an application of a class of selenium-containing organic compounds in copper sulfide flotation collectors, including organic compound with selenium atoms as functional groups and containing single selenium atom or multiple selenium atoms, where the organic compound with selenium atoms as functional groups and containing single selenium atom or multiple selenium atoms includes but not limited to selenophene, phenylselenol and diselenide as copper collectors; and a class of organic compound containing selenium atoms combined with nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and carbon, where the class of organic compound containing selenium atoms combined with nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and carbon includes but not limited to selenomethyl ester, carbonyl selenomethyl ester, oxycarbonyl selenomethyl ester, selenourea, selenium nitrogen, selenoxanthonic acid, selenoxanthate, selenophosphoric acid, selenium phosphate ester, triphenylphosphine selenide, all kinds of benzoselenediazole molecules as copper collectors.