Process for the flotation of fillers from deinked waste paper in the presence of surfactants containing sulfonate groups

A process for the removal by flotation of fillers from deinked suspensions of fibers derived from waste paper, wherein after deinking said waste paper by flotation the improvement comprises adding to the suspensions of fibers from 0.1 to 8 g. per kilogram of air-dry paper stock, of one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of:

• a) .alpha.-sulfofatty acids and .alpha.-sulfofatty acid esters corresponding to general formula I:
• ##STR2## in which R is C.sub.6-20 alkyl;
• M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, or ammonium cation;
• and M.sup.1 is hydrogen, an alkali metal, or ammonium cation or C.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• and
• b) alkali, ammonium, and amine salts of sulfonated unsaturated C.sub.12-22 fatty acids;
• and
• c) alkali, ammonium, and amine salts of sulfosuccinic acid mono- and di-esters and sulfosuccinic acid mono- and diamides;
• and
• d) alkali, ammonium, and amine salts of secondary C.sub.11-17 alkane sulfonates;
• and then removing said fillers by flotation.