Mercaptanized Dicyclopentadiene Compositions and Use Thereof as a Mining Chemical Collector

A flotation process for the recovery of molybdenum from an ore, the process comprising:

• contacting the ore with a collector composition, wherein the collector composition comprises a thiol composition comprising sulfur-containing compounds, the sulfur-containing compounds comprising:
• (i) at least 80 wt. % monothiotricyclodecene compounds;
• (ii) less than 10 wt. % dithiotricyclodecane compounds;
• and
• (iii) less than 10 wt. % of a heavy fraction comprising intermolecular sulfide compounds having at least one intermolecular sulfide group (—S—), at least two groups independently selected from a tricyclodecenyl group and a tricyclodecanyl group, and optionally at least one thiol sulfur group (—SH);
• wherein:
• the ore comprises chalcopyrite and/or chalcocite;
• a percent recovery of molybdenum from the ore is greater than or within about 5 wt. % of a percent recovery using n-dodecyl mercaptan instead of the thiol composition, under the same flotation conditions.

A flotation process comprising:

• contacting an ore comprising chalcopyrite and/or chalcocite with a collector composition, wherein the ore comprises more copper than molybdenum, and wherein the collector composition comprises a thiol composition comprising sulfur-containing compounds, the sulfur-containing compounds comprising:
• (i) at least 80 wt. % monothiotricyclodecene compounds;
• (ii) less than 10 wt. % dithiotricyclodecane compounds;
• and
• (iii) less than 10 wt. % of a heavy fraction comprising intermolecular sulfide compounds having at least one intermolecular sulfide group (—S—), at least two groups independently selected from a tricyclodecenyl group and a tricyclodecanyl group, and optionally at least one thiol sulfur group (—SH);
• and
• recovering molybdenum from the ore in an amount greater than about 75 wt. %, based on the amount of molybdenum in the ore prior to the contacting with the collector composition.