The adsorption and action of various polymers on talc has been investigated. Two families of polymers (starch-based polysaccharides and synthetic polyacrylamides) with specific molecular weights and functional group chemistry were studied. Adsorption isotherms, acoustophoresis, and contact angle studies enabled polymer adsorption behaviour, adsorbed layer thickness, and the hydrophilicity of the polymer-treated talc surface to be determined. Flotation testing on the treated talc revealed a hierarchy of effectiveness within the group of polymers studied. The observed trends in flotation performance are discussed with reference to the measured polymer layer properties. A 3D correlation plot of adsorbed layer thickness and contact angle against flotation recovery indicates that it may be feasible to predict an order of effectiveness for polymeric depressants based solely oil measurements of the adsorbed layer properties, without recourse to flotation testing. This approach would be desirable when screening large numbers of potential depressants. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.