How are copper sulfide ores processed before selective flotation?

Before copper sulfide ores undergo selective flotation, they must be processed through a series of mechanical stages to ensure the copper minerals are effectively separated from waste materials, known as gangue.1

The primary preparation steps include:

• Crushing: The ore received from the mine is processed in several stages to reduce its size. This is typically performed under dry conditions using mechanized crushers.12
• Grinding: Following crushing, the material is finely ground into a powder. This stage is critical because it achieves the optimal degree of liberation, physically separating the interlocked copper minerals from the surrounding waste rock. While grinding can be performed dry or wet, wet grinding is the predominant method used in modern mineral processing.12

Once the ore reaches the required fineness, it is ready for the flotation process, where it is mixed with water and specific reagents to facilitate the separation of copper minerals from the remaining sulfide and waste constituents.1