Manganese – Mn on the periodic table – is one of the most versatile chemical elements. Although it is a metal, manganese is never used as such, but is a necessary raw material in a vast number of applications. Manganese is the fourth most commonly used metal in the world behind iron, aluminum and copper.
More than 90% of the Mn produced worldwide is used in the form of ferro-alloys, mainly in the steel industry, where it is used both in the process itself, as a desulphurising agent and a deoxidizer, making the slag more fluid; and directly, as a component of the alloy. Nearly all steels contain some Mn, in proportions that vary from 0.05% to 2%, reaching 12% in some cases. The properties of steel are completely altered when mixed with manganese. Manganese improves the tensile strength, workability, toughness, hardness and resistance to abrasion. Further more, manganese greatly improves weld ability and is therefore included in the composition of most welding materials for iron and steel.
Contact: Edwin Koens, tel: +31(0)10 266 2555,
metals@fondel.com
