A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.

A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.

An exemplary embodiment of a synthesis method includes the following acts or steps: providing LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 material as a precursor; leaching Mn from the LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 material using an acid to form a synthesized solution; adding carbonaceous material to the synthesized solution; adding phosphoric acid to the synthesized solution with carbonaceous material to form MnPO.sub.4 composite material; and adding Li containing compound to the MnPO.sub.4 composite material to form LiMnPO.sub.4 composite material.

A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.

An exemplary embodiment of a synthesis method includes the following acts or steps: providing LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 material as a precursor; leaching Mn from the LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 material using an acid to form a synthesized solution; adding carbonaceous material to the synthesized solution; adding phosphoric acid to the synthesized solution with carbonaceous material to form MnPO.sub.4 composite material; and adding Li containing compound to the MnPO.sub.4 composite material to form LiMnPO.sub.4 composite material.

An exemplary embodiment of a synthesis method includes the following acts or steps: providing LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 material as a precursor; leaching Mn from the LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 material using an acid to form a synthesized solution; adding carbonaceous material to the synthesized solution; adding phosphoric acid to the synthesized solution with carbonaceous material to form MnPO.sub.4 composite material; and adding Li containing compound to the MnPO.sub.4 composite material to form LiMnPO.sub.4 composite material.

A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.

A process (10) for extracting manganese from manganese-bearing ore includes roasting (12.2) a feed admixture of particulate manganese-bearing ore (26), comprising Mn and Fe, and ammonium sulphate (24) at a first temperature T.sub.1 to provide a sulphonated admixture comprising MnSO.sub.4(s) and FeSO.sub.4(s). The sulphonated admixture is roasted (12.3) at a second temperature T.sub.2, which is higher than the first temperature T.sub.1, to form a leachable admixture (30) comprising MnSO.sub.4(s) and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3(s). The MnSO.sub.4(s) is leached (16) in preference to the Fe.sub.2O.sub.3(s) from the leachable admixture (30) to provide a leachate (34, 38) rich in dissolved MnSO.sub.4.