Kinetics and mechanism of one-step reductive leaching of manganese oxide ores by EDTA/EDTA-2Na

In this research, the kinetics and mechanism of one-step reductive leaching of manganese oxide ores by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or its disodium salt (EDTA-2Na) in an aqueous medium have been investigated. The kinetic data of this reductive leaching process may be described by the Avrami model, and the apparent activation energy was determined to be 15.8 kJ·mol-1/7.9 kJ·mol-1 for leaching by EDTA/EDTA-2Na with a reaction order of -1.7/2.0. The EDTA/EDTA-2Na leach liquor characterized and analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), and total organic carbon (TOC) determination denoted that the oxidation-reduction reaction happened between manganese(IV) and EDTA/EDTA-2Na, and a coordination complex, EDTA-manganese(II/III) formed. This new process can be easily used to leach manganese from manganese oxide ores in a moderate environment with the pH range of 5–8.