Canadian Industries, Ltd.

David John Gannon

A process for separating molybdenite from copper sulphide and other metal sulphide minerals with which it is associated in a metallurgical concentrate through use of a copper sulphide depressant which is a compound having at least one nitrogen atom, at least one thio group and at least one hydrophilic group. Some examples are 2-thiouracil, pseudothio-hydantoin, and 2-imino-4-oxo-5-thiazolidineacetic acid.

Hydrophilic thio compounds as selective depressants in the flotation

A process for the recovery of copper minerals from oxidized ores by flotation employing sulphidization of the oxidized minerals followed by flotation employing a tetraalkylammonium halide as collector. Preferably, a prior flotation step with a xanthate collector is employed, especially when the ore contains substantial amounts of unoxidized sulphide minerals. Using the preferred embodiment of the process it is possible to recover 10% more copper from an oxidized copper ore than is possible with sulphidization and xanthate flotation steps alone.

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St-Bruno, Canada

David John Gannon