A process for making a manganese sulphate solution with low level impurity of potassium which can be used to make electrolytic manganese dioxide for battery use, from manganese ores containing high potassium impurity which comprises adding reduced manganese ore (MnO) to spent electrolyte containing Mn, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and water soluble ferric ions till a pH of 1 to 2 is achieved, digesting the mixture at a temperature of at least 60.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. for a period of 1 to 4 hours, and then adding additional reduced manganese ore (MnO) till a pH of 4 to 6 is reached followed by separating the MnSO.sub.4 solution obtained from the precipitated material.