No abstract

This pioneering study characterized the chemical, physical and mineralogical aspects of the Urucum Standard manganese ore typology, and evaluated some of its metallurgical characteristics, such as the main mineral heat decompositions, and the particle disintegration at room temperature and under continuous heating. A one-ton sample of ore was received, homogenized and quartered. Representative samples were collected and characterized with the aid of techniques, such as ICP-AES, XRD, SEM-EDS, BET and OM. Representative samples with particle sizes between 9.5 mm and 15.9 mm were separated to perform tumbling tests at room temperature, and thermogravimetry tests for both air and nitrogen constant flow at different temperatures. After each heating cycle, the mechanical strength of the ore was evaluated by means of screening and tumbling procedures. The Urucum Standard typology was classified as an oxidized anhydrous ore, with a high manganese content (~47%). This typology is mainly composed of cryptomelane and pyrolusite; however there is a significant amount of hematite. The Urucum Standard particles presented low susceptibility to disintegration at room temperature, but as temperature increased, susceptibility increased. No significant differences were observed between the tests done with the air or nitrogen injections.

Manganese lump ores are still the main raw material used in the manufacture of manganese ferroalloys, but the processing of the ore to the beneficiation point generates fines. So an alternative to be studied is making pellets. This work compares the main geometallurgical characteristics of the lump ore from the Azul Mine and the pellets made from fines generated during beneficiation of this lump ore on a small scale. The characteristics assessed were: the chemical composition, mineralogical constitution, hot and cold particle disintegration, thermal decomposition and solid state reduction. It can be observed that the pellets contain a greater proportion of manganese oxides than the lump ore and they are also richer in Mn. In the pellets the hot and cold particle disintegration phenomena are minimal when compared with those found in lump ore. Lump ore can be efficiently reduced in the solid state, while most of the manganese minerals in the pellets have already been reduced to MnO. The conclusion is that manufacturing pellets in order to take advantage of the manganese ore fines is a path that must be studied further, since the pellets can be used as a viable source of manganese and act as agents that contribute to the increase in permeability of the charge. But possible reductions in the temperature of the granular zone during solid state reduction need to be considered.

The manganese lump ore from Morro da Mina mine is typically silicate carbonated and presents a great economic potential for the ferroalloy companies installed in Minas Gerais. However, its low manganese content, associated with the lack of knowledge about its metallurgical properties makes it difficult for large scale application. This pioneering study aimed to amply investigate this lump ore's particle disintegration. One ton of ore from the mine was homogenized and quartered. Representative samples were characterized by different techniques, such as ICP-AES, XRD, SEM, BET and OM. Aiming to characterize particle disintegration, three parameters were proposed: Cold Disintegration Index (CDI), Decrepitation Index (DI) and Heating Disintegration Index (HDI). By using these indexes, it was possible to conclude that this manganese lump ore did not present significant disintegration at room temperature. At medium temperature test, slight decrepitation occurred, and at high temperatures, intense disintegration was detected. The carbonate decomposition and porosity growth were the main responsible factors for the ore hot particle disintegration.

Crushing residues of FeSiMn and high-carbon (HC) FeMn alloys were characterized in order to evaluate their recycling possibility. Particle size determination was performed by screening, followed by chemical analysis of each particle size range using plasma spectrometry (ICP-AES). The slag content was identified and quantified by optical microscopy. All of the fines with grain sizes above 1.18 mm presented alloy contents in excess of 99 wt. (%) and were determined to need no further concentration prior to recycling. However the contents of Mn, Fe, Si and P in the fraction below 1.18 mm did not meet the chemical specifications for commercial manganese alloys, except for phosphorous. Optical microscopy of the fraction below 1.18 mm, showed that 87.95% of the FeSiMn corresponded to the alloy and that the slag content was 12.05%. For the HC-FeMn sample, 95.07% corresponded to the alloy and only 4.93% to the slag. These results revealed potential for gravity concentration and recycling, reducing the residues in about 95% and improving the process productivity.