Concentration of copper by Froth Flotation. Copper ores being mined in 2010 are too lean in copper (0.5-2%) to be smelteddirectly. Heating and melting their huge quantity of waste rock would require prohibitiveamounts of hydrocarbon fuel which makes it environmentally unfriendly. Fortunately, the Copper iron sulphates and copper sulphides minerals in an orecan be isolated by physical means into high-Cu concentrate, which can then be smeltedeconomically. The most effective method of isolating the