Hydrometallurgical Processing of Manganese Ores: A Review

Abstract

Hydrometallurgy is the most suitable extractive technique for the extraction and purification of manganese as compared to all other techniques including biometallurgy and pyrometallurgical processes. In the hydrometallurgical processing of manganese from its ore, the leach liquors often contain divalent ions such as iron, manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc along with other impurities which make manganese very difficult to separate. The processes employed for solution concentration and purification in the hydrometallurgical processing of manganese include precipitation, cementation, solvent extraction and ion exchange. Solvent extraction also proves more efficient and it plays vital roles in the purification and separation of the manganese as compared to all other techniques. A detailed review of the various steps involved in the hydrometal-lurgical manganese processing, concentration and purification processes and newer processes of extraction of manganese from ores and waste materials were discussed.