Silico Manganese
It’s a ferro alloy with high manganese and silicon content. Made by heating a mixture of oxides, namely, manganese oxide, silicon dioxide, and iron oxide with carbon in a furnace. Silico- manganese undergoes a thermal decomposition reaction. Like others, it is also used as a deoxidizer and an alloying element in steel.
demand of ferro-alloys (fe-alloys) which is obtained from manganese ore is driven by the steel industry with about 90% of all the fe-alloys used in steel production while the balance 10% used in foundries and welding as represented in below chart. Further, out of the total fe alloys used in steel making, 70% is used as an alloying element and the remaining 30% is used as a deoxidizing and desulphurizing agent. Fe-alloys are power intensive products requiring 3000 – 4000 kwh of power per metric tonne (t) of production hence most fe-alloy production plants have a captive power plant to support their operations.
Nouvelle Gabon plans to produce the following grades of silico manganese from its 4 x 21 smelter project once it is commissioned.
| parameter | unit | specification |
|---|---|---|
| lump size | mm | 10-40/50/60/70 |
| manganese | % | 65-70 |
| carbon | % | 2 – 2. 5 |
| silicon | % | 14 – 16 |
| phosphorus | % | 0. 30 (max) |
| sulphur | % | 0. 03 (max) |
| iron | % | rest |
