How does flotation separate molybdenite from gangue minerals?

In molybdenum processing, flotation is the primary method used to separate metallic minerals from gangue minerals after the ore has been crushed and ground.

This process utilizes a wide variety of chemical reagents to selectively isolate the desired minerals. By adjusting the chemical environment, the process allows for the separation of molybdenite from other gangue minerals, or the separation of molybdenum from copper in porphyry ores. The resulting concentrates typically contain between 85 and 92 percent molybdenum disulfide ($Mo{S}_2$).1