Process of phosphate ore beneficiation in the presence of residual organic polymeric flocculants

A process for the froth flotation of phosphate values from an aqueous ore pulp containing about 0.1 to 5 parts per million of residual organic polymer flocculants which comprises:

• conditioning said ore pulp with from about 0.1 to 5.0 pounds of collector per ton of ore, said collector comprising, in combination, from about 99.0 to 1.0 weight percent of a fatty acid derived from vegetable or animal oils and, correspondingly, from about 1.0 to 99.0 weight percent of a surface active agent wherein the surface active agent is either a partial polycarboxylic acid ester of the general structure:
• ##STR13## wherein R.sub.2 is a linear or branched radical having from 8 to 23 carbon atoms, inclusive, n is an integer of from 0 to 8 inclusive, p is an integer of from 0 to 8 inclusive, wherein n+p is equal to or greater than (1) and R.sub.1 is a bivalent grouping selected from --CH.sub.2 --m wherein m is an integer of 1 to 6, --CH.dbd.CH, ##STR14## --C.sub.6 H.sub.8 --, and C.sub.6 H.sub.10 --, or is a sulfosuccinamate of the general structure:
• ##STR15## wherein R.sub.2 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated radical having from 8 to 23 carbon atoms, inclusive, and X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, sodium, potassium and ammonium and thereafter froth floating the phosphate values.