Abstract: A process for the production of cobalt concentrate from an ore containing metal sulfides including sulfides of lead, zinc, and cobalt. The ore is crushed and subjected to a lead and cobalt flotation to separate the lead and cobalt from the zinc and produce a bulk lead cobalt concentrate. The lead cobalt concentrate is then subjected to a cobalt flotation to separate the cobalt from the lead and produce a cobalt concentrate.

Abstract: A sequential flotation process for the separation of components of an ore containing sulfides of copper and molybdenum involves initially effecting selective flotation of the copper component directly from the ore by conditioning the ore with a combination of a source of bisulfite ion and causticized starch to produce a conditioned ore having a pH between approximately 5.2 and 6.2, and thereafter treating the conditioned ore with a collector selected from the group consisting of dialkyl dithiophosphates and alkyl dithiophosphinates.

Abstract: An improvement is provided in a process for the flotation of an acid grade fluorspar enriched concentrate, having a sulfide sulfur content not greater than about 0.02%, from a fluorspar ore containing in addition to fluorspar substantial amounts of gangue minerals and metallic sulfide accessory minerals. The invention utilizes in this conventional flotation process an alkali metal sulfide, preferably sodium sulfide, as a depressor reagent, in substitution of environmentally objectionable sodium cyanide, to depress the flotation of metallic sulfide minerals, thereby rendering a flotation concentrate low in sulfide sulfur content while substantially reducing associated environmental effects.