Separation of manganese from iron and other undesirable ore components

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF MANGANESE FROM IRON AND OTHER UNDESIRABLE MINERALS OF AN ORE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SUBJECTING A FINELY GROUND ORE CONTAINING MANGANESE AND IRON TO A SELECTIVE REDUCING TREATMENT WITH A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT, THE COMPOSITION AND TEMPERATURE OF SAID REDUCING AGENT AND THE TREATMENT TIME BEING SELECTED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT AN INCOMPLETELY REDUCED PRODUCT IS OBTAINED CONTAINING THE MANGANESE VALUES IN THE FORM OF MN2 O3 AND MNO AND THE IRON VALUES IN OXIDE FORM NOT LOWER THAN FE304, LEACHING SAID REDUCED PRODUCT WITH AN ACID SOLUTION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITRIC ACID, SULFURIC ACID AND HYDROCHLORIC ACID UNTIL A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT PH VALUE OF ABOUT 2-5 IS OBTAINED, WHEREBY A LEACH IS OBTAINED CONTAINING A MANGANESE SALT SOLUTION AND AN INSOLUBLE REMAINDER CONTAINING THE IRON OXIDE TOGETHER WITH THE GANGUE MATERIAL, AND SEPARATING SAID MANGANESE SALT SOLUTION FROM SAID INSOLUBLE REMAINDER.