The extraction of manganese from low-grade pyrolusite ore was investigated using oat straw as a reducing agent in dilute sulfuric acid medium. The optimal conditions and the kinetics from manganese dioxide ores by reductive leaching were discussed. The results show that the leaching rate of manganese reaches 96.1% while the iron dissolved is 46.8% and chemical oxygen demand (COD) is 6.2 g/L under the optimal condition as follows, H2SO4 concentration of 150 g/L, liquid-to-solid ratio of 9 mL/g, mass ratio of oat straw to pyrolusite ore of 0.3, leaching time of 60 min at 90 ℃. The kinetics studies indicate that the leaching process follows the shrinking-core model in the temperature ranging from 333 K to 363 K, the leaching rate of manganese is controlled by the interface chemical reaction during the leaching process, and the apparent activation energy is 69.4 kJ/mol. ©, 2014, Science Press. All right reserved.