Kinetics of Mn2O3 digestion in H2SO4 solutions

The kinetics of Mn₂O₃ digestion in various H₂SO₄ solutions (0.5-2.0 M) and at various temperatures (ambient to 80 °C) to form solid γ-MnO₂ and soluble Mn(II) have been examined using X-ray diffraction. Using a modified first-order Avrami expression to describe digestion kinetics, rate constants in the range 0.02-0.98 h⁻¹ were found for Mn₂O₃ disappearance, and 0.03-0.42 h⁻¹ for γ-MnO₂ formation, with higher H₂SO₄ concentrations and temperatures leading to faster conversion rates. Also, for a particular set of experimental conditions, the rate of γ-MnO₂ formation was always slower than Mn₂O₃ disappearance. This was interpreted in terms of the solubility and stability of the soluble Mn(III) intermediated formed during the digestion. Activation energies for Mn₂O₃ dissolution and γ-MnO₂ formation were also determined.