1. Iron And Steel Industry (Main Application, About 70 Percent)
(1) Removing oxygen and sulphur
Deoxidizer: In the process of making steel, electrolytic manganese reacts with oxygen in water to form MnO, which then forms a floating slag for removal and prevents air bubbles forming in the steel.
Mn+O→MnO
Desulfurizing Agent:
When it combines with sulfur, it forms MnS (melting point 1650°C), which reduces the effect of sulfur on the toughness of steel, especially for high-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA).
(2) Doping Additives Performance Improvement:
Adding 0.5-1.5% manganese can greatly improve how strong, hard and resistant to wear steel is (e.g. steel used for railway tracks and construction machinery).
Replacement of high-value metals:
You can partly replace nickel and molybdenum, and reduce the cost of stainless steel (e.g. 200 series stainless steel) by adding 1% to 2%.
2. Battery Materials (New Energy)
(1) Lithium-Ion Batteries
Anode materials:
These are used to make lithium manganate (LiMn2O4), which is low-cost and safe. It is used in power batteries (e.g. e-bikes) and energy storage systems.
New Anode:
Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) can be used to make batteries that have a higher voltage (3.8V→4.1V) and can store more energy because of the manganese doping, which makes it a popular material for the next generation.
(2) Alkaline BatteryElectrolytic Manganese Dioxide (EMD) - Raw Material:
Electrolytic manganese is oxidised to produce EMD, which is used as the cathode of zinc-manganese dry batteries to increase the amount of electricity that can be stored and the battery's lifespan.
