Abstract:
The aim of this research is to upgrade the Anka manganese ore for manganese metal extraction. The ore was subjected to chemical, mineralogical, fractional sieve size analysis, work index, susceptibility of the ore to gravity method and Wilfley shaking table processing. The sample was subjected to Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XRFS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and Scanning electron microscope equipped with dispersion spectrum analyzer (SEM-EDS). Fractional sieve analysis of the crude sample was carried out at sieve range of 1000-63 μm towards liberation size determination. Five hundred (500) g each of manganese ore and quartz was prepared by crushing and grinding to 100% passing 1200 μm sieve towards work index determination. Susceptibility of the mineral to gravity separation method was determined via the sink and float method. One (1) kg each of the ore of sieve size ranging from -355 to + 63 μm was used for the Wilfley shaking table process. The ED-XRFS result showed that the ore assayed 77.81% MnO, 60.26% Fe2O3, 4% Al2O3 and other compounds in trace form. The mineralogical characterization revealed spessartine (3MnO.Al2O3, 0.830), quartz (SiO4, 0.728), pyrolusite (MnO, 1.543), and almandine (Fe3Al2SiO12, 1.583) were identified as the major phases in the ore. The fractional sieve size analysis carried out revealed that the manganese bearing mineral can be liberated at the particle size fraction of -180 + 125 μm. The work index alongside with the energy expended in grinding of the ore was found to be 14.16 Kwh/ton and 3.3984 Kwh respectively. Furthermore, the results obtained from the susceptibility test showed that the minerals of interest can be beneficiated using the gravity separation method. The chemical analysis of the ore concentrates revealed that the optimum yield was obtained at -250+180 μm assaying 79.24% MnO. Finally, it was deduced from the research that the ore contains Manganese in its oxide form and gravity separation technique using Wilfley shaking table is viable for the beneficiation of the Anka manganese ore.
