The manganese lump ore from Morro da Mina mine is typically silicate carbonated and presents a great economic potential for the ferroalloy companies installed in Minas Gerais. However, its low manganese content, associated with the lack of knowledge about its metallurgical properties makes it difficult for large scale application. This pioneering study aimed to amply investigate this lump ore's particle disintegration. One ton of ore from the mine was homogenized and quartered. Representative samples were characterized by different techniques, such as ICP-AES, XRD, SEM, BET and OM. Aiming to characterize particle disintegration, three parameters were proposed: Cold Disintegration Index (CDI), Decrepitation Index (DI) and Heating Disintegration Index (HDI). By using these indexes, it was possible to conclude that this manganese lump ore did not present significant disintegration at room temperature. At medium temperature test, slight decrepitation occurred, and at high temperatures, intense disintegration was detected. The carbonate decomposition and porosity growth were the main responsible factors for the ore hot particle disintegration.
Manganese Ore; Technologic Characterization; Decrepitation; Particle Size Disintegration; Fines
