# Manganese

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

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/

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 ore**Open-pit rock of 35-54% manganese
2. 2 **Preparation**Crushed, washed and sintered
3. 3 **Smelting**Electric furnaces make ferromanganese, silicomanganese
4. 4 **Into steel**Added to molten steel as deoxidiser
5. 5 **Battery chemicals**Some refined to electrolytic metal, sulfate
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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/links/index.md)