Patent ID: 6427843
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: B03D

Abstract:
A process for the recovery of valuable minerals of different mineralogical character from an ore wherein the process comprises:subjecting a milled slurry or flotation concentrate to a first conditioning step followed by a first flotation step to recover a valuable mineral from the slurry or concentrate, withdrawing a tailing stream from the first flotation step, subjecting the tailing stream to a second conditioning step followed by a second flotation step to recover any valuable mineral in the tailing stream, wherein the first conditioning step comprises conditioning the slurry or the flotation concentrate with an oxidising gas containing a gas selected from the group consisting essentially of oxygen and ozone, and the second conditioning step comprises conditioning the slurry or the flotation concentrate with a substantially non-oxidising gas and an oxidisable surface modifying reagent.