Manganese mining involves locating deposits, using equipment to extract the ore, and transporting it to a processing plant. Open pit mining is preferred, but underground and deep-sea mining are also possible. Processing removes impurities and refines the manganese for use in various products.
Locating a deposit is often the first step in manganese mining. After locating significant deposits of manganese ore, equipment is usually brought in to form a mine. When the manganese has been successfully removed from the bedrock, it is usually transported to a processing plant, either on site or off site. Processing is usually done to remove impurities. The processed manganese can then be refined into many different products.
Manganese mining usually takes place near large deposits of high-grade manganese nodules. Many of these deposits are found in terrestrial sources on various continents around the world. Geological survey equipment can help locate these land and ocean deposits, which are thought to contain large amounts of manganese. However, special equipment is required for deep-sea mining, making such operations cost-prohibitive. Otherwise, typical mining equipment, such as excavators, bulldozers, and transport vehicles are used to perform all mining operations.
Open pit mining is often preferred for manganese extraction. Underground mining is also possible, as is deep-water mining in open wells similar to those used for land-based deposits. Manganese mining often requires a specific method of extraction, because the nodules can be embedded among various other bedrock materials. One of the benefits of open pit mining is that it costs less than other methods of mining. The change in geological configuration, however, means that the environmental impact of this extraction is often considered severe.
Transportation is an important part of manganese mining because the raw ore must be transported from the mine before it can be processed, refined, and sold. Once the manganese ore has been freed from the bedrock, it is often transferred by a heavy excavator to a transport vehicle. Often large dump trucks with a high weight capacity are essential for this function. Once transported to a machine or processing plant, many of which are located near the mine, stationary machines often transport the mined material through the processing and refining machinery.
Processing and refining of the ore are usually the final stages of manganese mining. Manganese nodules often contain significant levels of other materials, such as rock, mud and water, as a result of the mining process. Machines often crush the raw material, after which chemical or mechanical processes separate the manganese ore from the rest of the material. Once free of impurities, manganese is often heated or melted, a process that can strengthen the material by changing its molecular composition. Once fully processed, manganese is added to various products, such as steel, fertilizers, and paints.
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