An improved process for the recovery of manganese as ferro-silico-man-gamese from leached sea nodule residue

The present invention provides a process wherein low manganese containing materials such as leached sea nodule residues are processed for Ferro-silico-manganese production by two stage smelting route without any blending with high manganese containing material to correct the Mn/Fe ratio, which is quite low in leached sea nodule residues. The process involves two stage smelting of the leached sea nodule residues. In the first stage smelting, iron is separated to increase the Mn/Fe ratio in the first stag slag. Thereafter, the first stage slag with suitable Mn/Fe ratio is smelted to produce standard grade Ferro-silico-manganese. In short, the first stag smelting uses coke as reductant and quartzite as flux, after which the separation of metal and slag is done. In the second stage smelting, the first stage slag is smelted using coke as reductant and lime as flux, after which the Ferro-silico-manganese alloy is separated from the slag obtained.