Flotation of oxides of Ni, Cu(II), Zn and Fe(Ill) by long chain xanthates, up to decyl, has been studied. Flotation is pH-dependent and follows an electrostatic mechanism, recovery being related to the isoelectric point of the oxide. Recovery increased with the chain length, the rate constant increasing linearly with the number of carbon atoms in the chain. At pH 10.5, CuO and NiO were selectively floated from ZnO and Fe2O3. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.