Low grade iron-bearing manganese ore is a potential solid waste resource. In this study, an innovative technology of suspension reductive roasting and magnetic separation (SRMS) was used to treat the iron-bearing manganese ore for comprehensive recovery of iron and manganese. The phase transformation of minerals in roasting process was systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction analyzer (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electronic microscope (HRTEM). The results show under the optimum conditions of reduction temperature 680 degrees C, reduction time 30 min, CO concentration 20% and particle size -0.9 mm, iron concentrate with iron grade 67.38% and iron recovery 87.14% and manganese concentrate with manganese grade 30.51% and manganese recovery 87.02% were obtained respectively. Magnetite converted from hematite was enriched in the concentrate of magnetic separation, while manganosite transformed from pyrolusite and braunite was enriched in the tailings of magnetic separation. SRMS can achieve full component utilization of iron-bearing manganese without residues. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.