A flotation process that is not strictly of the same class as others, but still makes use of the principle of selective oiling of sulfide particles. The crushed ore is fed into an agitator and mixed with 4% to 5% of its weight of a paste made of one part of oil or thin tar with three or four parts of magnetic oxide of iron. This oxide must be ground to an impalpable powder. These ingredients, with enough water to make a pulp, are agitated for 5 to 20 min. The paste preferentially adheres to the sulfides because of the oil. The ore is then fed over magnets, and oxide of iron, with the mineral adhering to it, is pulled out. The oil and magnetite are then recovered.