mineral separation also bought other patents to consolidate ownership of any potential conflicting rights to the flotation process - except for the elmore patents. in 1910, when the zinc corporation replaced its elmore process with the minerals separation (sulman-picard-ballot) froth flotation process at its broken hill plant, the primacy of the minerals separation over other process contenders was assured. henry livingston sulman was later recognized by his peers in his election as president of the (british) institution of mining and metallurgy, which also awarded him its gold medal.