Production of manganese-bearing ligatures from iron–manganese ore beneficiation tailings by ore-thermal smelting

Abstract

Amid the depletion of high-grade manganese raw materials, the utilization of low-grade ores and beneficiation tailings has become an important direction for expanding the raw-material base of ferroalloy production. This study evaluated the feasibility of producing manganese ligatures from high-silica ferromanganese ore beneficiation tailings of the Ushkatyn III and Tur deposits. The research was aimed at assessing the technological suitability of these technogenic materials for obtaining non-standard manganese-bearing ligatures applicable for alloying steels of different grades. Experimental smelting was carried out in a 200 kVA ore-thermal electric furnace. Material balances were calculated, and the chemical and phase compositions of the obtained products were determined. The smelting of Ushkatyn III tailings produced a high-carbon ferromanganese-type ligature containing 40–55 wt.% Mn and 4–6 wt.% C. In contrast, the processing of Tur tailings resulted in a silicomanganese-type ligature containing 45–50 wt.% Mn and 17–22 wt.% Si. The produced ligatures were suitable for use in alloying structural, reinforcing, and tool steels. The results confirmed that ferromanganese ore beneficiation tailings can be considered as a promising alternative raw material for the cost-effective production of manganese ligatures with targeted chemical compositions.