Reagent conditioning for electrostatic separation of minerals

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF THE LIBERATED AND DESLIMED CONSTITUENTS OF A MINERAL COMPOSITE OF A TYPE RESISTANT TO CHEMICAL ATTACK AND OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF KYANITEZIRCON, SILLIMANITE-QUARTZ, AND KYANITE-QUARTZ, WHICH INVOLVES ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF THE COMPOSITE CONSTITUENTS, THE STEPS PRIOR TO SAID SEPARATION WHICH COMPRISE HEATING AND DRYING SAID COMPOSITE AND THEN TREATING SAID HOT DRY COMPOSITE WITH ABOUT 0.05 TO 5 POUNDS OF AN ORGANIC ANIONIC CONDITIONING AGENT PER TON OF COMPOSITE, SAID CONDITIONING AGENT BEING A CARBOXYLIC ACID HAVING A HYDROCARBON APPENDAGE, WHEREBY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID COMPOSITE CONSITITUENTS IS SELECTIVELY FILMED WITH SAID CONDITIONING AGENT AND SAID COMPOSITE CONSTITUTENTS ARE THEREBY RENDERED MORE AMENABLE TO ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.