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: 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 present invention relates to a continuous process for the quaternization of tertiary amines with an alkyl halide. The process is performed at a temperature between 50° C. and 140° C. by reacting a tertiary amine and an alkyl halide in a tubular reactor at a pressure sufficient to keep the alkyl halide dissolved in the reaction mixture. The molar ratio between the tertiary amine and the alkyl halide is from 1:1.3 to 1:2.9 and the pressure is suitably between 12 to 65 bar. The process could be performed either with or without a solvent present, preferably without a solvent. The process gives high product yields and low amounts of by-products.