Abstract: Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is an efficient and pollution-free mineral processing inhibitor, which is widely used in the selective flotation of typical sulfide ores. In this paper, the inhibition mechanism of CMC on sulfide ores such as galena, chalcopyrite and pyrite and gangue minerals containing magnesium silicate in flotation of sulfide ores is summarized. The effects of CMC's properties, pulp pH, the existence of other metal ions, the dosage of reagents and the order of reagent addition on CMC inhibition performance in sulfide ore flotation are summarized. The aim is to provide a reference for efficient flotation separation of sulfide ores.