Method of processing phosphate ore to recover metallic minerals

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING RECOVERING PHOSPOHATE AND HEAVY MINERALS FROM A PHOSPHATE ORE COMPRISED THEREOF WITH SILICA, WHEREIN SAID ORE IS SUBJECTED TO FLOTATION TO SEGREGATE A PHOSPHATE FRACTRION AND A HEAVY MINERAL FRACTION, AND THE HEAVY MINRALS FRACTION IS SUBJECTED TO GRAVITY SEPARATION TO PRODUCE A HEAVY MINERALS CONCENTRATE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHCH COMPRISES SUBJECTING THE ORE IN FINELY DIVIDED FOPRM TO ANIONIC FLOTATION WITH AN ANIONIC FLOTATION REAGENT HAVING AN AFFINITY FOR PHOSPHATE TO PRODUCE AN ANIONIC FLOAT CONCENTRATE PREDOMINATING IN PHOSPHATE AND CONTAINING SILICA AND HEAVY MINERALS, AN ANIONC MIDDLING FRACTION CONTAINING SILICA, HEAVY MINRALS, AND PHOSPHATEAND AN ANIONIC TAILING FRACTION PREDOMINATING IN SILICA AND CONTAINING HEAVY MINERALS AND PHOSPHATE, SUBJECTING SAID MIDDLING FRACTION TO AT LEAST ONE ANIONIC CLEANER FLOTATION STEP TO PROUCED A CLEANER FLOTATION CONCENTRARE, SEPARATELY SCRUBBING SAID ANIONIC FLOAT CONCENTRATE AND SAID CLEANER FLOAT CONCENTRATE TO REMOVE ANIONIC REAGENTS THEREFROM SUBJECTING SAID DEREAGENTIZED CLEANER FLOAT CNCENTRATE TO A FIRST COATIONIC FLOTATION WITH A CATIONIC FLOTATION REAGENT HAVING