Xanthates are water-soluble chemicals that are used primarily in the mining industry. Xanthates can be obtained by reacting an alcohol with carbon disulphide and an alkali such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The alcohols employed are not unique. They can form ethyl, butyl (isobutyl, normal butyl, secondary butyl), propyl (isopropyl, normal propyl) and amyl (isoamyl, normal amyl, secondary amyl) xanthates, in dry forms, such as powder, granules, pellets, tablets or flakes. Xanthate is the common name for chemical reagents used in the flotation of base and precious metals, which is the standard method for separating valuable minerals, such as gold, copper, lead or zinc minerals, from non-valuable minerals, such as limestone or quartz (gangue).