treatment methods of copper ores

at the present time, flotation is the primary method for copper minerals separation from copper ores. the main copper ores that is extracted in the world is sulphide ore. the sulphide minerals are floated readily by using sulphydryl collectors. in the case of using xanthates , which are among the sulphydryl collectors, used more in the flotation of sulphide minerals of copper, the flotation of copper minerals is due to: (a) multilayers of cuprous xanthate and absorption on the surface of mineral, (b) electrostatic adsorption of dixanthogen. after one stage of sulphidization, the copper carbonates could be floated like the sulphide minerals. in addition, these minerals could be floated by the fatty acids.