Recovering more from every ton: How Multotec’s fine material spiral concentrators strengthen manganese value chains

Manganese may not always command headlines, but it remains one of the most essential minerals in modern industry.

It underpins global steel production and is rapidly emerging as a critical component in next generation battery technologies. While close to 90% of manganese output still feeds the steel sector, demand for high purity manganese is rising steadily as electric vehicles and energy storage systems gain momentum.

This dual demand is reshaping how producers view their resources. Increasingly, the focus is shifting to beneficiation strategies that do more than process premium ore. By recovering additional saleable product from fine manganese material that was previously discarded or stockpiled, producers can reduce waste, strengthen value chains and improve resilience through commodity price cycles.

Drawing on extensive global expertise in gravity concentration, Multotec has supplied a modular heavy mineral beneficiation solution to a manganese producer in West Africa. Designed specifically for fine material recovery, the system allows producers to unlock value from fines and maintain profitability even when market conditions soften.

Turning Fine Manganese into Opportunity

Historically, manganese operations have prioritised the lumpy fraction of the ore because it is easier to beneficiate and readily accepted by export markets. Fine material, particularly the minus one-millimetre fraction, has often been overlooked despite the fact that it has already been mined and crushed. This means most of the production cost has already been incurred.

When demand strengthens or prices fluctuate, these fines present a powerful opportunity. With the right gravity separation technology selected according to particle size, shape and density, fine and ultra fine manganese can be transformed into a saleable product that meets offtake requirements.

Spiral concentrators play a central role in this process. They are widely regarded as one of the most efficient and cost-effective methods for beneficiating manganese, particularly fine high-density material. Their low energy demand, minimal maintenance and adaptability make them ideally suited to the complex and variable ore bodies found across Africa.

Menzi Xulu, Senior Process Engineer at Multotec, explains: “Multotec’s SC range of spiral concentrators are suited to fine, high-density mineral separation, which is a key requirement in manganese beneficiation. Our SC20 spirals are typically used in the roughing and scavenging stages, where the focus is on maximizing recovery from the feed. The SC21 spiral is then applied in the cleaning stage to upgrade the manganese and achieve the required product specification.”

To further enhance recovery, Multotec has developed the UX7 spiral, designed specifically to capture ultra fine heavy minerals that were previously lost to tailings. The UX7 is highly effective in the roughing and scavenging of ultra fine manganese, allowing producers to recover value from material that would otherwise be wasted.

This combination of roughing, scavenging and cleaning spirals ensures that value is extracted from the entire orebody, not just the easy to process fractions.

Recovering Fines with a Practical Modular Solution

Recovering fine manganese economically is essential, particularly during periods of lower commodity prices. Multotec addresses this challenge through modular and mobile heavy mineral test plants that integrate several proven technologies into a compact and transportable solution.

Wilna Hoffmann, General Manager for Business Development at Multotec, says: “Fitted with Multotec cyclones, spirals, and pumps, the unit can treat 40 tons per hour of fine material in just three stages to produce a saleable manganese product. It is also operator-friendly and designed as a basic but cost-effective solution that can easily be transported and commissioned quickly.”

One manganese producer in West Africa turned to Multotec to maximise recovery from fine tailings that had long been overlooked. Although the operation had purchased a Multotec heavy minerals unit several years earlier, it had remained idle for nearly three years.

Multotec recommissioned and optimised the unit in just four days. Once operational, the system ran at full capacity and recovered a 47% high grade manganese super concentrate from feed grading 26% manganese.

Across Africa, the opportunity to deploy these modular beneficiation units continues to expand. Their low capital and operating costs, ease of use and ability to recover value from fines offer a practical pathway to unlock mineral resources more fully and strengthen regional mineral value chains.