How is manganese ore processed for industrial use?

Manganese ore is processed for industrial use through several methods depending on the desired final product, such as alloys or pure metal.

Mining and Concentration

Mining is typically conducted in open pits. Ores may be upgraded through washing, and undersized materials are often agglomerated via sintering.1

Production of Alloys

Most manganese is produced as ferromanganese or silicomanganese for the steel industry. These are created by reducing manganese oxide ores with carbon in blast furnaces or electric furnaces. To achieve lower carbon and silicon content, manufacturers may use a process involving lime flux and coal to create an MnO-rich melt, which is then reduced using silicomanganese. Alternatively, high-carbon ferromanganese can be refined by blowing it with oxygen to lower its carbon content.234

Electrolytic Processing

For applications requiring high-purity manganese, ores are roasted to create an MnO calcine, which is dissolved in sulfuric acid. After purifying the resulting solution to remove impurities like iron and copper, the manganese is deposited onto stainless-steel cathodes in an electrolytic cell. The resulting flakes are heated to remove hydrogen, yielding a product with greater than 99.9 percent purity.5