A Review of Ore Smelting in High Carbon Ferromanganese Production

ABSTRACT

Manganese ore smelting is reviewed in terms of processing parameters such as feed material particle sizes, energy input methods, heat transfer modes, smelting mechanisms, experimental findings on specific smelting aspects, and rates of MnO reduction and carbon dissolution into ferrous alloys. This paper provides a comprehensive current review of our fundamental understanding of manganese ore smelting. Process parameters and resultant cost effects are discussed in terms of existing industrial smelting processes, the Submerged Arc Furnace (SAF) and the Blast Furnace (BF), and the AlloyStream process demonstration plant. Bench-scale experimental results for AlloyStream induction furnace smelting are discussed with reference to rate measurements reported in literature. The experimental results clearly illustrate the importance of higher alloy bath temperatures in induction smelting to improve alloy production rates, whilst the effect of alloy bath chemistry was of less importance. AlloyStream process benefits and issues are discussed with reference to the SAF and BF processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Smelting
• reduction
• manganese
• slag
• induction

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Exxaro Resources for permission to publish this paper.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.