RECOVERY OF MNSO4 FROM LOW-GRADE PYROLUSITE ORES, AND OF MNSO4 AND SILVER FROM MANGANESE-SILVER ORES

The aim of this study was to economically recover MnSO4 from low-grade manganese ores, abundantly available in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, and MnSO4 and silver from manganese ores containing silver. In the research carried out thus far, an economical method aimed at treating these ores has not been found. In this study, the recovery of MnSO4 from low-grade manganese ores was realized. The MnSO4 recovered was fairly pure. Our method was then applied to manganese-silver ores; fairly good results were obtained. The silver which remained in the residue following production was taken Into a solution medium. In the first stage of our research, studies on pyrolusite ores containing 36.98% manganese were conducted. Ninety-one percent of the manganese was taken into solution as MnSO4 by providing proper conditions (the experiment was carried out with a mixture of 1.8175 g sawdust, 9.1 mt of 96% H2SO4, and 15.7750 g pyrolusite). In the second stage, 94.0% of the manganese existing in used silver-pyrolusite ore was taken into solution as MnSO4 (the experiment was carried out with a mixture of 73.850 g pyrolusite, 9.9646 g sawdust, and 98.2 mt of 96% H2SO4). In this study the amount of Silver passed into solution was found to be 3.73%. The 97% manganese passed into solution was crystallized as MnSO4 . H2O, and its degree of purity was determined to be 96.0%. The remaining residue was extracted with thiourea at an extraction time of 30 minutes. Also, 98.1% of the silver and ah of the gold were taken into solution. When the silver and gold taken into solution were exposed to adsorption with activated carbon, they were adsorbed within 21/2 hours. The thiourea had not been degraded within this time period.