Production of intermediate grade manganese concentrate from low grade manganiferous ores

A process for producing intermediate grade manganese concentrate from low grade manganiferous ores, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a low grade manganiferous ore containing silicon, iron, between 1 to 20 percent manganese and oxides of silicon, iron and manganese;
• (b) crushing said low grade manganiferousore to reduce the size of said manganiferous ore to a fraction of its original size.
• (c) heat treating said low grade manganiferous ore, after crushing, in a atmosphere selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing atmosphere and a neutral atmosphere to a temperature between 1300 and 1500 degrees C. to chemically transform the manganese and iron in said manganiferous ore to an artificial magnetic, manganese-iron spinel;
• (d) cooling said manganiferous ore, after heat treating;
• (e) fine crushing and then fine grinding said manganiferous ore, after cooling, to between -200 to -500 mesh particle size to liberate said artificial manganese-iron spinel from the silicon and other oxides within said ore;
• and
• (f) magnetically separating said artificial manganese-iron spinel from the silicon and other oxides within said ore to increase the concentration of said artificial manganese-iron spinel and thereby provide an intermediate grade manganese concentrate containing at least 20 percent manganese.