Title: Complex processing of manganese bearing waste and low-grade ores by autoclaving method

Authors: Archil Chirakadze; Lali Gurchumelia; Irina Khomeriki; William A. Toscano; Izolda Bazghadze; Irine Geleishvili; Vakhtang Gvakharia; Tengiz Geleishvili

Addresses: Faculty of Informatics and Control Systems, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Faculty of Informatics and Control Systems, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Faculty of Informatics and Control Systems, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Mayo Building MMC 807, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA ' Faculty of Chemical Technologies and Metallurgy, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Faculty of Chemical Technologies and Metallurgy, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Science-Research Firm Gamma, 17A Guramishvili, Avenue, 09192 Tbilisi, Georgia ' Science-Research Firm Gamma, 17A Guramishvili, Avenue, 09192 Tbilisi, Georgia

Abstract: Experimental research was carried out using representative samples of copper processing waste and the manganese processing waste disposed in Georgia to achieve secondary recovery of valuable metals from the waste. Joint autoclave oxygen leaching of different compositions of low-grade ores and waste using microwave treated samples was studied to assess recovery of metals from waste and low-grade ores. The data showed that complex utilisation of manganese and pyrite bearing waste can form the basis for a low-cost and environmentally-friendly industrial production of manganese oxide concentrates and low-carbon alloys, sulphur and copper compounds, and concentrates for gold and silver extraction. The developed methods can partially replace the standard technologies of ferroalloys industry, which uses reducing manganese oxides by carbon. This would significantly decrease the carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions during production of ferromanganese and metallic manganese while reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and mitigating global warming.

Keywords: manganese waste; copper waste; pyrite; waste processing; autoclaving; low-grade ores; Georgia; valuable metals; metal recovery; environmentally-friendly production; manganese oxide; low-carbon alloys; sulphur compounds; copper compounds; gold extraction; silver extraction; ferroalloys; carbon monoxide; carbon dioxide; CO2; carbon emissions; ferromanganese production; metallic manganese production; GHG emissions; greenhouse gases; global warming.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2016.077919

International Journal of Global Warming, 2016 Vol.10 No.1/2/3, pp.291 - 306

Received: 17 Sep 2014
Accepted: 08 Jul 2015
Published online: 22 Jul 2016 *

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