Abstract: Disclosed are a slow-release inhibitor for high-magnesium sulfide mineral flotation and an application thereof, where the inhibitor is a nano colloidal particle of an alkaline earth fluoride such as CaF2 and BaF2 or a highly-reactive natural alkaline earth metal mineral powder. When applied to the flotation separation of a high-magnesium sulfide ore, the inhibitor can slowly release F ions to preferentially form a MgF2 layer on the magnesium-containing mineral surface, which provides a structure similar to MgF2 on a surface of oxidized gangue minerals such as magnesium oxide, changing surface electrical property of the magnesium-containing mineral, inhibiting heterogeneous coagulation of magnesium-containing minerals and sulfide ores due to electrostatic attraction and reducing entrainment, enveloping and agglomeration of gangue minerals to efficiently inhibit the flotation of oxidized gangue minerals such as magnesium oxide.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for selectively recovering a sulphide mineral from an ore applying a collector being an alkylated triphenyl phosphorothionate. Further, the present invention is directed to the use of said alkylated triphenyl phosphorothionates to separate a target mineral from iron sulphide and/or silicate gangue.

Abstract: A process to treat metal or mineral ores is disclosed. The metal or mineral ore is a metallic sulphide ore including copper, gold, platinum, silver, nickel, molybdenum, arsenic sulphides, cobalt, zinc, lead, tin, antimony, or combinations thereof with a collector composition including a dimeric fatty nitrile. The dimeric fatty nitrile is prepared by a process including reacting a dimer fatty acid with ammonia at a temperature between about 200° C. and about 400° C. to form a dimeric amide and removing water from the dimeric amide to form the dimeric nitrile. The present disclosure also provides a collector composition containing the dimeric fatty nitrile and at least one further collector or frother compound.

Abstract: The invention uses machine-vision to improve the performance of a flotation operation to provide a substitute for conventional human vision and problem-solving abilities. The invention redirects the conventional approach of “characterizing the froth” to “measuring the froth characteristic.” The invention provides a method of monitoring and controlling a mineral mixture flow in a froth flotation cell of a flotation plant which includes the steps of obtaining a series of digital images extracted of froth characteristics from a flotation cell. The digital images are transmitted to a computer for processing thereof into parameter signals of digital parameter froth characteristics.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a process operating by means of the electrochemical potential, in which process complex ores and/or concentrates are treated in order to arrange the valuable components in the materials in a form appropriate for further processing and in which method electrodes made of material essentially similar to the materials to be treated in the process. According to the invention an impedance analysis in connection with the measurement of the electrochemical potential is carried out for the material to be treated in process in order to analyze the state of the solid surface and/or the state between the solid material and the intermediary material. The measured values are utilized in the adjustment of the process parameters. In order to carry out the impedance analysis voltage pulses are conducted into the material in at least one frequency and in at least one value of the electrochemical potential of the material.

Abstract: An aqueous solution containing a water soluble polyvalent metal sulphate, an alkali metal silicate and an alkali metal metabisulphite is described which is added to a slurry of a copper mineral bearing ore to be subjected to a froth flotation step for obtaining a copper concentrate. The aqueous solution is added to enhance the selectivity of conventional flotation collectors and depressants when the valuable minerals are finally disseminated in the host ore, which is then required to be ground to very small particle sizes to achieve the desired liberation. Other valuable minerals such as those bearing zinc and lead, may be recovered from the tailing.

Abstract: Dialkyl xanthogen formates are known collectors, but the reaction that produces them, between an alkaline alkyl xanthate and an alkaline chloroformate, also causes side reactions which produce varying amounts of xanthic anhydride, carbonyl sulfide and dialkyl carbonate as by-products, and yield of formate may be as low as 30%. There are here disclosed processing schemes for controlling the amount and type of products and by-products produced in the reaction, and flotation tests show that certain product mixtures are significantly improved collectors for sulfide ores.