Manganese Alloys
More than 90% of the manganese ore mining worldwide goes to producing steel in the form of ferroalloys.
What varieties are used?
A variety of manganese products can give steel different properties:
Ferromanganese is used as deoxidiser, desulphuriser and degasser of steel, to eliminate nitrogen and other hazardous elements that are found at the first melting of iron. It also improves mechanical properties such as hardenability and abrasion resistance from special steels. Nowadays, three grades of ferromanganese are applied in a large and growing number of industrial and consumer products:
- Ferromanganese MC (FeMn MC)
- Ferromanganese LC (MeMn LC)
- Ferromanganese HC (FeMn HC)
Silicomanganese, which is obtained thorough manganese carbotermia and using quartzite as a source of silicon, is used as a steel deoxidiser. The contribution of manganese allows obtaining low carbon level steels which produces fine steel with a high grade of purity. Two main grades are produced:
- Refined Siliconmanganese (SiMn AF)
- Super refined Siliconmanganese (SiMn LC)