FROTHERS USEFUL IN THE RECOVERY OF FINE PARTICLES OF METAL VALUES IN FROTH FLOTATION

摘要

The frother composition is used in a process for recovering mineral values from ore by subjecting the ore, in the form of an aqueous pulp, to a flotation process. The frother composition comprises the reaction product of 1) a polyhydroxy C1-20 alkane (including cycloalkanes) or a mono- or di-saccharide, and 2) propylene oxide or a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, with the proviso that at least 50 mole percent of the mixture is propylene oxide, wherein the reaction product has a molecular weight of between 150 and 1400. The frother composition and process of the invention is particularly effective in the flotation of fine mineral values wherein 75 percent or more of the ore comprise particles of a size of 75 micrometers or less.