The properties of dust collected from electric arc furnace of ferro manganese production units was investigated, and also the metallic manganese was recovered from the dust by aluminothermy process.
The ferromanganese dust collected from electric arc furnace contained about 15% of manganese oxide (Mn3O4) and 9% of carbon as the contaminant, and have a 5um of 50% median diameter and irregular particle shape. The carbon contaminant in the dust could be reduced until about 0.1~0.5% level by roasting in the air at a temperature of 600~900C for 60minutes.
The recovery of manganese could not be carried out using only ferromanganese dust from electric arc furnace by aluminothermy process, but the ferromanganese which contained manganese of about 92% and iron of about 5% could be obtained from the mixture of ferromanganese dusts from electric arc furnace and converter. The best mixing condition of dust fixed at electric arc furnace dust / converter dust ratio of 1:9 and 2:8, and the mixing rato of 3:7 or more could not separated the metal and slag from the reactant after aluminothermy reaction.