Electrolytic manganese is a pure form of manganese produced through electrolysis and used as an alloy in stainless steel and aluminum production, as well as in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The refining process involves heating the ore, using chemical treatments, and passing a direct electric current through the solution to separate the manganese from natural contaminants. The majority of manganese is used as an alloy in steel production, while electrolytic manganese dioxide is used in the manufacture of dry cell batteries. Manganese deposits are mainly found on the seabed, with China, Australia, and South Africa having significant mining and manufacturing capacities.
Electrolytic manganese is a pure form of the metallic element manganese, Mn. It is called “electrolytic” because an important step in the refining process involves electrolysis, a chemical reaction driven by an electric current. Less pure forms, such as ferromanganese and silicomanganese, are derived from cheaper methods. The pure metal is mainly used as an alloy in the production of stainless steel and aluminum. Electrolytic manganese is also used extensively as an element in lithium-ion batteries designed for electric vehicles.
The initial stages of processing manganese involve heating the ore and using chemical treatments to remove most of the impurities. Electrolysis is then used to further refine the metal. A solution of the material is placed in an electrolytic cell and a direct electric current is passed through it. The direct current induces a chemical reaction that separates the manganese from natural contaminants.
Electricity enters the cell through the anode, a negative electrode, and exits through the cathode, a positive electrode. The passage of a direct current through the manganese solution can cause both oxidation, a loss of electrons, and reduction, a gain of electrons. This results in an electrolytic buildup of metallic manganese (EMM) on the positive cathode and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) on the negative anode. The electrodes are periodically removed and the manganese deposits collected in flake form. Heating the flakes to 925°F (500°C) removes the latent hydrogen and results in a manganese powder with greater than 99.9% purity.
The vast majority of the manganese refined each year is used as an alloy in the processing of other metals. Steel production accounts for the majority of the total with the purest electrolytic manganese being used in the production of high quality stainless steel. It is also used in the production of corrosion resistant aluminum.
The electrolytic manganese dioxide is mainly used in the manufacture of the cathode, or positive pole, of dry cell batteries. New battery designs and applications rely more heavily on manganese. The lithium-ion batteries that power many electric vehicles typically use EMM in manufacturing the cathode and EMD in manufacturing the battery anode.
Manganese is a common element, but most of its deposits are in the form of nodules on the seabed. Commercially viable deposits on land are not evenly distributed, with China, Australia and South Africa having significant mining and manufacturing capacities. Countries that rely heavily on imported metal sometimes see the concentration of mining and processing in so few hands as a strategic threat to their economy.
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