What is Manganese?
The 25th element in the periodic table with an atomic weight of 54.93 and the chemical symbol Mn, manganese is the 12th most abundant element on earth. 80% of the world's proven reserves can be found in South Africa. Other significant deposits can be found in Gabon, Australia, Brazil, and China. Manganese is the mineral that "turns iron to steel" and without it, many of the world's largest civil construction undertakings would not be possible.
Manganese products in their processed forms would include ferromanganese, manganese flake, and manganese sulphate which would consist of pharmaceutical grade, high-purity battery grade and agricultural grade. In the form of trace elements, it is an essential element for human health.
Nickel Manganese Cobalt
The Electric Vehicle industry is leaning towards a formulation that the industry calls, NMC (Nickel, Manganese, Cobalt). Essentially, the product is reduced to liquid form to produce a precursor which is then transformed into a solid cathode powder. It is then rolled into a cylindrically formed cathode & attached to the anode with an electrolyte in between.
The manganese component of this comes either in the form of high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate or electrolytic manganese metal (EMM). This is a precursor for the NMC mix. Manganese Sulphate is the environmentally friendly option since no further processing of the product is required.