Flotation processes are described in ancient Greek and Persian literature. During the late 19th century, the process basics were discovered through a slow evolutionary phase. During the first decade of the 20th century, a more rapid investigation of oils, froths, and agitation led to proven workplace applications, especially in Broken Hill, Australia, that brought the technological innovation known as “froth flotation.” During the early 20th century, froth flotation revolutionized mineral processing.
Initially, naturally occurring chemicals such as fatty acids and oils were used as flotation reagents in large quantities to increase the hydrophobicity of the valuable minerals. Since then, the process has been adapted and applied to a wide variety of materials to be separated, and additional collector agents, including surfactants and synthetic compounds have been adopted for various applications.