Collector compositions and methods of using thereof

1. A mineral slurry composition for the beneficiation of an ore in a floatation process, the composition comprising:

an ore comprising a mineral of interest; and

a collector composition comprising: (a) refined tall oil wherein the refined tall oil is any tall oil that has been subjected to one or more refining or processing steps that results in an increase in acid value; and (b) a fatty acid; wherein the refined tall oil has an acid value of at least 90 mg KOH/g and a weight average molecular weight of at least 750 g/mol; wherein the refined tall oil comprises an ester content of less than 15% by weight, based on the weight of the refined tall oil, and a polymeric acid content of at least 35% by weight, based on the weight of the refined tall oil; and

wherein the collector composition is used to recover the minerals from mineral slurry by floatation at a recovery rate of at least 50%.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the refined tall oil has a weight average molecular weight of from 750 g/mol to 1300 g/mol.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the refined tall oil comprises at least 40% by weight fatty acids, rosin acids, and fatty acid esters, based on the weight of the refined tall oil.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the refined tall oil comprises at least 4.5% by weight linoleic acid and at least 7.5% by weight oleic acid, based on the weight of the refined tall oil.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the refined tall oil is present in an amount ranging from 5% to 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid comprises a tall oil fatty acid.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid is present in an amount ranging from 20% to 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a frothing agent.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a depressant.

10. A mineral slurry comprising:

(a) an ore comprising a mineral of interest;

(b) a collector composition comprising (i) a refined tall oil; and (ii) a fatty acid;

(c) a liquid; and

wherein the refined tall oil comprises an ester content of less than 15% by weight, based on the weight of the refined tall oil, a polymeric acid content of at least 35% by weight, based on the weight of the refined tall oil,

wherein the refined tall oil has an acid value of at least 90 mg KOH/g and an average molecular weight of at least 750 g/mol, and

wherein the collector composition facilitates recovery of the mineral from the mineral slurry for a recovery rate of the mineral of at least 50%.

11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the mineral slurry is from 20% to 80% by weight solids.

12. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the mineral of interest is selected from the group consisting of iron, phosphate, barite, fluorite, feldspar, potash, fluorspar, magnesite, scheelite, celestite, anglesite, alunite, bauxite, gypsum, kainite, biotite, calcite, dolomite, albite, orthoclase, microcline, fluorspar, gypsum, anhydrite, columbite, tantalite, pyrochlore, apatite, cassiterite, wolframite, rutile, ilmenite, hematite, kaolin, noble metals, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, rhenium, copper, refractory metals, niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, hafnium, osmium, iridium, rare earth metals, cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, yttrium; and combinations thereof.

13. A method for the beneficiation of an ore in a froth floatation process, the method comprising:

(a) providing a slurry comprising the ore dispersed in a liquid;

(b) contacting the slurry with a collector composition comprising a refined tall oil wherein the refined tall oil comprise an ester content of less than 15% by weight, based on the weight of the refined tall oil, a polymeric acid content of at least 35% by weight, based on the weight of the refined tall oil, and wherein the refined tall oil has an acid value of at least 90 mg KOH/g and an average molecular weight of at least 750 g/mol; and

(c) recovering a beneficiated ore;

wherein the beneficiated ore is recovered at a rate of at least 50%.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the refined tall oil is present in the collector composition in an amount ranging from 5% to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the collector composition.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the collector composition further comprises a fatty acid present in an amount ranging from 20% to 60% by weight, based on the total weight of the collector composition.

16. The mineral slurry of claim 10 , wherein the collector composition is to facilitate recovery of the mineral from the mineral slurry in a direct flotation process or a reverse floatation process.

17. The collector composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric acid is selected from the group of alkylated aromatics, dimerized fatty acids, trimerized fatty acids, dimerized aromatic acids.