Current Manganese Prices

Manganese

The most important manganese ores are the oxides pyrolusite, romanechite, manganite, and hausmannite and the carbonate ore rhodochrosite. Rhodonite and braunite, both silicate ores, are frequently found with the oxides. Only ores containing greater than 35 percent manganese are considered commercially exploitable. Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is not found as a free element in nature; it is often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy uses, particularly in stainless steels. Historically, manganese is named for pyrolusite and other black minerals from the region of Magnesia in Greece, which also gave its name to magnesium and the iron ore magnetite. By the mid-18th century, Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele had used pyrolusite to produce chlorine. Scheele and others were aware that pyrolusite (now known to be manganese dioxide) contained a new element, but they were unable to isolate it. Johan Gottlieb Gahn was the first to isolate an impure sample of manganese metal in 1774, which he did by reducing the dioxide with carbon.

Manganese Origin And Distribution

Manganese is the fifth most abundant metal in the Earth's crust. Its minerals are widely distributed, with pyrolusite (manganese dioxide) and rhodochrosite (manganese carbonate) being the most common. The main mining areas for manganese are in China, Africa, Australia and Gabon. In Madhya Pradesh, manganese ore is found in Balaghat, Chhindwara and Jhabua districts. In Maharashtra, manganese ore is found in Nagpur and Bhandara districts. In Odisha, manganese ore is found in Sundargarh, Koraput, and Ganjam districts.

Manganese Uses

Manganese is an important raw material in the Iron and steel industry as it is used for hardening steel and prevents it from rusting. Manganese is used to produce a variety of important alloys and to deoxidize steel and desulfurize. It is also used in dry cell batteries. Manganese is used as a black-brown pigment in paint. It is an essential trace element for living creatures. It is mainly used in alloys, such as steel. Steel contains about 1% manganese, to increase the strength and also improve workability and resistance to wear. Manganese steel contains about 13% manganese. This is extremely strong and is used for railway tracks, safes, rifle barrels and prison bars.

Top Manganese Producing Countries

Following are the major Manganese producing countries in the world:

1.       South Africa
2.       China
3.       Australia
4.       Gabon
5.       Brazil
6.       India
7.       Malaysia
8.       Ukraine
9.       Kazakhstan
10.    Ghana

Top Manganese Importing Countries

1.       Indonesia
2.       Singapore
3.       Germany
4.       Belgium
5.       European Union
6.       Thailand
7.       India
8.       United States
9.       Poland
10.    Namibia

Manganese Production

South Africa is the world's largest producer of manganese by far, with production amounting to 19.16 million metric tons in 2021. Gabon was the second largest producer that year, at seven million metric tons. The total global production volume of manganese in 2021 was 49.5 million metric tons. Manganese is a chemical element and a transition metal. It is often found in combination with iron.

Manganese trading

You can’t make steel without manganese. It’s also a key component in cathodes within lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). Investors looking to invest in the manganese market can gain exposure to the metal through stocks of companies involved in its mining and manufacturing.