A mineral processing method capable of efficiently separating a copper mineral from a molybdenum mineral is provided. The mineral processing method includes: a conditioning step of adding sulfite as a surface treatment agent to a mineral slurry containing a copper mineral and a molybdenum mineral; and a flotation step of performing flotation using the mineral slurry after the conditioning step. The hydrophilicity of the copper mineral can be selectively enhanced by sulfite, so as to be able to produce a difference in hydrophilicity between the copper mineral and the molybdenum mineral. Therefore, the molybdenum mineral can be selectively caused to float, and the copper mineral and the molybdenum mineral can be efficiently separated from each other.

The disclosure relates to mineral processing, and more particularly to a copper(II)-ammonia complex ion sulfidization activator, and its preparation and application. A molar ratio of NH.sub.3 to Cu.sup.2+ in the active ingredient of the copper(II)-ammonia complex ion sulfidization activator is 2:1-4:1. The preparation method includes: dropwise adding an ammonia solution to a copper salt solution; and adjusting the mixture to pH 6-7.2 with dilute sulfuric acid to obtain the copper(II)-ammonia complex ion sulfidization activator. During the sulfidization flotation for the copper oxide ore, the copper(II)-ammonia complex ion sulfidization activator is added and mixed uniformly with the ore slurry prior to the introduction of the sulfidizing agent.

The flotation reagents from acidic olive oil are made by transesterification of acidic olive oil. Acidic olive oil is olive oil having an acid value high enough to render it unsuitable for consumption, typically greater than 3.3% and/or between 3.3-7%. Transesterification of the olive oil with methanol converts fatty acids in the olive oil to an ester fraction and a glycerol fraction. The ester fraction may be sulfonated and used as the collector in a reverse flotation process, selectively removing the carbonate gangue from phosphate-carbonate rock in the froth, leaving phosphates in the sink. The glycerol fraction may be used without modification as the collector in the reverse flotation process. Both fractions are highly selective for carbonates, substantially reducing loss of phosphates in the froth.

In a method for recovering a copper sulfide concentrate by froth flotation from an ore containing an iron sulfide, wet grinding of the ore with grinding media made of high chromium cast iron alloy having a chromium content of from 10 to 35% by weight is combined with an addition of hydrogen peroxide to the conditioned mineral pulp before or during flotation in order to improve concentrate grade and recovery of copper sulfides.

The subject invention provides safe, environmentally-friendly, compositions and methods for extracting minerals and/or metals from ore. More specifically, the subject invention provides for bioleaching using a composition comprising one or more biosurfactant-producing microorganisms and/or microbial growth by-products. In specific embodiments, the composition comprises biosurfactant-producing yeasts and/or their growth by-products.

The present invention discloses thiol compositions containing monothiotricyclodecenes, dithiotricyclodecanes, and intermolecular sulfide compounds, as well as mining chemical collector compositions containing such thiol compositions. Flotation processes for recovering metals, such as copper and molybdenum, from ores using the mining chemical collector compositions also are disclosed.

Presently claimed invention is directed to a collector composition for the beneficiation of a mineral comprising at least one component (A) selected from the group consisting of anionic (A1) surfactants, cationic (A2) surfactants, ampholytic (A3) surfactants and non-ionic surfactants (A4), and at least one component (B) selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine (B1) and alkoxylated hexamethylene diamine (B2).

This disclosure relates generally to selective flocculation, and more particularly to portable test-device for performing selective flocculation experiments in continuous mode. The test-device includes a slurry inflow system, a flocculant tank, a static mixer, a control pumping system, and a thickener system. The static mixer is connected to the slurry inflow system and the flocculant tank, to receive and mix flocculant solution and slurry and cause formation of floc. The control pumping system connects the flocculant tank and the slurry inflow system to the static mixer to control the control parameters responsible for pumping the slurry and flocculant solution in the continuous mode in the static mixer. The thickener system comprises a thickener tank to receive treated slurry and the floc from the static mixer, separately collect tailings and the floc from the thickening tank. The components of the portable test-device are removably connected to each other.

A method is provided for using flotation techniques for separating rare earth metal compounds from bastnaesite ore. The method can include grinding the ore to obtain an aqueous slurry of particles, adding a depressant agent to the slurry and adjusting the pH to a suitable value for the flotation process, adding a collector mixture to the slurry that includes at least one hydroxamic acid, and adding a frother agent to the slurry, followed by subjecting the slurry to froth flotation.

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.