Sintering and Smelting Manganese Concentrates from Maggie Canyon Ore, Artillery Mountains Area, Ariz

Pyrometallurgical studies by the Bureau of Mines demonstrated the feasibllity of sintering and smelting a low-grade flotation concentrate made by pilot-plant processing 10-percent manganese ore from the Maggie Canyon deposit, Mohave County, Ariz. Under optimum conditions 85 percent of the manganese in a flotation concentrate that assayed 36 percent manganese was recovered as standard ferromanganese. A blend of this flotation concentrate with high-grade dithionate pilot plant precipitate was similarly processed with a recovery of 90 percent of the manganese. Thorough mixing and pelletizing of the charge before treatment on the sinter hearth was necessary to produce a well agglomerated product by single pass sintering. Although satisfactory sinter was produced from a variety of material combinations, best results were obtained on a charge that contained 80 percent flotation concentrate and 20 percent return sinter fines. This combination was mixed with 6 percent coke, based on weight of concentrate; and 12 percent moisture. Sintering such a charge yielded a well agglomerated product containing over 80 percent coarse material, The results of standard crushing tests showed that the product was physically comparable to iron ore sinters and manganese nodules. A ferrograde sinter of acceptable strength was made by a single-pass processing of a blend of the flotation concentrate and the leach plant precipitate. Sintering the precipitate alone proved difficult because of its relatively high manganese content and physical nature. However, a satisfactory single-pass sinter was made by increasing the proportion of return sinter fines in the charge to 40 percent and the moisture content to 22 percent.