A new method of manganese alloys obtaining

High cost of the ferromanganese production by traditional methods resulted in searching of new technologies for its production. The main objective of the study was to establish the technological parameters of a new process for the ferromanganese production by using ITmk3 process elements in laboratory conditions. The studies were carried out in the “Nabertherm” chamber furnace, which allows for simulate the temperature and time parameters of ITmk3 process elements in a rotary hearth furnace. The charge for ferromanganese obtaining consisted of manganese ore from the Zhayremsk deposit (Kazakhstan) and non-scarce coal, the consumption of which provided close to stoichiometric one in carbon for the direct reduction of manganese and iron from the correspondent oxides. The composition of the ore gangue and coalash provided a mixture with a slag melting point below 1400 °C. The maximum yield of ferroalloy and the conversion of manganese into the ferroalloy from the burden was achieved at a temperature and duration of thermal treatment of 1500 °C and 10 min, respectively. Information obtained during the study may be used for large-scale testing in a commercially size rotary hearth furnace.