Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Manganese

Indispensable to steelmaking as a deoxidiser and strengthener, with no satisfactory substitute; South Africa and Gabon supply most of it.

Steel & alloying · No. 14

  • EU strategic
  • EU critical 2023
  • US critical 2025
  • HHI 2,221 · moderately concentrated
Steel & alloying · Foundation · Matter

Every tonne of steel needs manganese, nothing can stand in for it, and South Africa holds about 70% of world resources.

Chart: Illustration: Manganese

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Most manganese comes from huge sedimentary deposits, above all in South Africa, which holds about 70% of world resources. Ore is mined in open pits and smelted in electric furnaces.

Three things to know
  1. In 1856 Mushet added manganese-rich spiegel iron to Bessemer steel, removing oxygen and making the process work.
  2. No US mine has produced ore of 20% or more manganese since 1970, so the US imports all it uses.
  3. India took 16.4% of world manganese ore imports in 2024, second only to China at 65.3%.
The journey
  1. 1 Sedimentary oreOpen-pit rock of 35-54% manganese
  2. 2 PreparationCrushed, washed and sintered
  3. 3 SmeltingElectric furnaces make ferromanganese, silicomanganese
  4. 4 Into steelAdded to molten steel as deoxidiser
  5. 5 Battery chemicalsSome refined to electrolytic metal, sulfate
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