About Manganese

What is Manganese?

Manganese is a hard, brittle, silvery-grey transition metal essential to modern industry. It is the fourth most used industrial metal by tonnage, with approximately 55Mtpa of ore traded annually (20Mt of contained Mn metal).

Manganese is a highly strategic raw material with a global supply chain heavily reliant on South Africa, Gabon, and Australia. While 90% of global production is used across almost all grades of steel, including High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steel, Manganese is also critical for lithium-ion battery cathodes, aluminium alloys, fertilizers, and chemical oxides.

In Australia, there are only two high-grade producing mines, Groote Eylandt (ASX:S32) and Woodie Woodie (ConsMins).

Read about Black Canyon’s Manganese Projects.

What is manganese used for?

Steel

Manganese is indispensable to the steel industry; there is currently no known substitute that can match its performance for the price.

  • Role: Acts as a deoxidizer and desulfuriser, binding with sulphides to improve workability at high temperatures.
  • Impact: Every tonne of steel produced contains between 6-15kg of manganese.
  • Strength: In standard High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steels, small amounts of manganese significantly improve tensile strength. In much higher concentrations of 8-15% (known as Hadfield steel), it creates extreme durability and wear resistance.
  • Aluminium Alloys

Manganese is used to create strong, corrosion-resistant materials.

  • Applications: Major uses include packaging, construction, and industrial equipment.
  • Automotive: Crucial for engine blocks and transmission components that require extreme durability under heat.

Batteries

Manganese is a critical component for EV battery cathodes, specifically in Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and next-generation chemistries like Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) and Lithium Manganese-Rich (LMR).

  • Benefits: It enhances energy density, capacity, and safety while reducing costs compared to cobalt-heavy alternatives, making it essential for the future of large-scale EV battery production.