Patent ID: 8066885

Claim:
A process for the beneficiation of carbonate mineral substrates by magnetic separation, comprising: (a) simultaneously intermixing: a plurality of magnetic microparticles and a reagent of formula I or formula II: R1R2R3M (I): R1R2R3R4M + X − (II) with a carbonate-containing mineral substrate thereby forming a mixture, where M is N or P, X is an anionic counterion, and each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 is selected from H or an organic moiety containing from about 1 to about 50 carbons, or in which at least two of the R1, R2, R3, and R4 groups form a ring structure containing from 1-50 carbon atoms, provided that at least one of the R1, R2, R3 and R4 groups is an organic moiety containing from about 1 to about 50 carbons, or that at least two of the R1, R2, R3 and R4 groups together form a ring structure containing from 1-50 carbon atoms; and provided that the reagent of formula I or formula II is a member selected from the group consisting of: secondary amine compounds, tertiary amine compounds, heterocyclic amine compounds, secondary ammonium compounds, tertiary ammonium compounds, quaternary ammonium compounds, heterocyclic ammonium compounds, phosphonium compounds and combinations thereof; and (b) applying a magnetic field to the mixture, thereby separating a value mineral from a non-value mineral and beneficiating the carbonate mineral substrate.