Prereduction of self-reducing pellets of manganese ore

Abstract

A brief review of alternative processes for production of high C Fe–Mn is presented. Experimental results of the reduction behaviour of charcoal bearing pellets with manganese concentrate at temperatures up to 1400°C are discussed. At temperatures up to 1000°C iron and manganese oxides are reduced to MnO, Fe and some Fe–Mn. At temperatures between 1000 and 1250°C, there is the formation of a liquid phase (Fe–Mn) by dissolution of reduced Mn into Fe. At temperatures between 1250 and 1350°C, manganese continues to be reduced and incorporated into Fe–Mn, and the composition of the metallic phase is similar to that of commercial Fe–Mn. The results have also shown that it is possible to obtain a Fe–Mn alloy with good recovery yield of Mn at temperatures within 1300 and 1400°C, without disintegration of the charcoal bearing pellet, but obtaining a liquid metallic phase inside it, favouring the coalescence of Fe–Mn. This result allows the prospect of new processes for Fe–Mn production with low energy consumption.