Manganese is a metal of the iron-like appearance that is extracted from the pyrolusite. Metallic manganese is obtained mainly electrolytically: manganese with 99.94% purity accumulates on the cathode which is then taken in flakes.
Manganese is an indispensable component for the production of some categories of alloy steels (85/90% of the manganese produced in the world is used in the steel industry). In fact, alloy steels have better chemical-physical characteristics and in particular the “Mn steel” (which contains manganese around 1.7%) has greater resistance to wear, greater hardness, self-hardens if subject to impact and sees its strength increased tensile (100N / mm² every 1%).
By also increasing the penetration of the hardening process and decreasing its temperature, manganese steel is used for the production of large pieces.
In the foundry, therefore, electrolytic manganese is used which must however be used in the form of fine granulate. The mineral can be purchased in flakes of about 50 mm by 2 mm thick and the pulverization on site, at the foundry that represents the last user, is economically convenient compared to the supply of the finished product ready for use.
The plant supplied in the province of Brescia fulfills this task. Our supply includes: hopper for collecting flake material, feeding belt conveyor, 490 type cylinder mill, vibrating screen and recycling belt conveyor.
The big-bags containing the raw material (flakes) are unloaded inside the loading hopper. These are extracted from the hopper, with dosed extraction from a vibrating feeder and are discharged from this onto a conveyor belt feeding the cylinder mill.
The mill grinds the cylinder for compression and granulates the flakes.
The mill unloads the ground by gravity on a vibrating sieve, which separates the fraction made to measure from the one that requires a further passage to the mill (oversize). The recycling is carried out by means of a further belt conveyor that brings the oversize back to the hopper, together with the fresh product unloaded from the big-bags.
The manganese to size granules (undersize) is discharged by gravity directly to the big-bag.
The operation of the system is completely automatic and controlled by PLC.
The plant can produce about 500 kg / h of less than 1 mm granulate.