Abstract:Copper is the most widely used non-ferrous metal in consumption and an indispensable clean energy component. Copper mainly comes from copper sulfide, copper oxide ore, and oxide-sulfide copper ores. Flotation is the most economical and primary enrichment method for separating and recovering copper minerals. Collectors can selectively adjust the hydrophobicity of copper minerals, increasing the difference in hydrophobicity between them and gangue minerals, which is the core element of flotation separation. This paper reviews the research progress on flotation collectors for sulfide, oxide, and oxide-sulfide copper ores. It covers the latest progress in the flotation of sulfide copper ores using xanthates and xanthate esters, dithiophosphates and their derivatives, dithiocarbamates and dithiocarbamate esters, thiocarbamates and thioureas, and their combinations. It also discusses the hydrophobization performance and mechanism of azole/thiazine thiones to sulfide copper. Furthermore, it points out the performance and mechanism of chelating collectors for oxide copper ores, such as hydroxamic acids, azole/thiazine thiones, and others, as well as the simultaneous flotation mechanism on oxide and sulfide copper minerals with azole/thiazine thiones or thiol-oxime collectors. The paper also outlines copper flotation collectors"" future development and application prospects.