Manganese(IV) fluoride Manganese(IV) fluoride Manganese tetrafluoride, MnF, is the highest fluoride of manganese. It is a powerful oxidizing agent and is used as a means of purifying elemental fluorine. Manganese tetrafluoride was first unequivocally prepared in 1961 by the reaction of manganese(II) fluoride (or other Mn compounds) with a stream of fluorine gas at 550 °C: the MnF sublimes into the gas stream and condenses onto a cold finger. This is still the commonest method of preparation, although the sublimation can be avoided by operating at increased fluorine pressure (4.5–6 bar at 180–320 °C) and mechanically agitating the powder to avoid sintering
Manganese natural gas provides the heat (needs to be at least 850 °C) and the reducing agent (carbon monoxide). This reduces all of the manganese ore to manganese oxide (MnO), which is a leachable form. The ore then travels through a grinding circuit to reduce the particle size of the ore to between 150–250 μm, increasing the surface area to aid leaching. The ore is then added to a leach tank of sulfuric acid and ferrous iron (Fe) in a 1.6:1 ratio. The iron reacts with the manganese dioxide to form iron hydroxide and elemental manganese. This process yields approximately 92%