What Electrolytic Manganese Metal Is
Electrolytic manganese metal, usually shortened to EMM, is a high purity manganese product produced by aqueous electrolysis rather than by smelting. The metal is deposited on cathodes as a dense, brittle sheet that is stripped, crushed and screened into flake or piece form. Commercial EMM is supplied at 99.50%, 99.70% and 99.80% manganese, with the residual content made up of controlled levels of carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, iron, silicon and selenium.
The distinction between EMM and ferromanganese matters for steelmakers. Ferromanganese adds manganese together with a large amount of carbon and iron, while EMM is used when manganese must be introduced with very low carbon and very low phosphorus. That is why EMM is the normal choice for low carbon steels, stainless grades, special alloys and aluminium alloys where strict impurity control is part of the specification.
Supply Forms and Typical Specifications
The table below summarises the forms in which manganese metal is most commonly traded. Flake grades are the standard metallurgical product; ingot grades are remelted shapes used where a denser charge is preferred.
| Product | Typical specification | Form | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrolytic manganese metal | Mn 99.50% min | Flake or piece | General steel and alloy addition |
| Electrolytic manganese metal | Mn 99.70% min | Flake or piece | Low carbon and low phosphorus steels, aluminium alloys |
| Electrolytic manganese metal | Mn 99.80% min | Flake | Special alloys, welding consumables, high purity duties |
| Manganese ingot | Grade 95# | Ingot | Remelt and general metallurgical charge |
| Manganese ingot | Grade 97# | Ingot | Remelt where higher manganese recovery is required |
Standard flake sizing is 10-50 mm, and producers normally screen to a customer-specified range. Sizing affects dissolution in the ladle, so a buyer who needs fast pickup should specify a finer cut and confirm the moisture and fine content of the delivered lot.
How EMM Is Produced
Ore preparation and leaching: manganese ore or manganese carbonate is reduced and then leached with acid to bring manganese into solution.
Purification: iron, heavy metals and other impurities are removed by pH adjustment and precipitation so that the electrolyte meets the impurity limits of the target grade.
Electrowinning: manganese is deposited on cathodes from a purified electrolyte containing ammonium sulphate and a selenium-based additive that controls deposit quality.
Stripping and finishing: the deposited sheet is stripped from the cathode, crushed, screened and packed. Selenium content in the finished product is a direct result of the additive used in the cell.
Because electrowinning is electricity intensive, cellhouse power cost is the single largest variable in the conversion cost of EMM. This is why manganese prices in different regions do not move in lockstep and why energy tariffs, ore quality and selenium cost are read as leading indicators by traders.
What Drives the Price of Electrolytic Manganese
Electricity and energy policy: power tariffs in producing regions feed directly into the cost of every tonne of flake.
Manganese ore and selenium: ore grade and the cost of the selenium-based cell additive move the electrolyte cost base.
Supply concentration: a large share of world EMM output is concentrated in a small number of producing regions, so output restrictions or maintenance shutdowns are felt quickly in the price.
Downstream demand: steel output, stainless and special steel production, and aluminium alloy demand set the volume requirement.
Logistics and trade terms: port charges, container availability, inland freight and the chosen Incoterm change the landed number even when the mill price is unchanged.
Currency: prices are quoted in US dollars against a cost base in local currency, so exchange rate movement changes realised margins.
Recorded Market Levels
Published market tables show how offers are structured by specification, basis and delivery term. The figures below record the levels published for 28 July 2025 and are given per tonne as quoted, not as a landed cost at the buyer's plant.
| Market | Product and specification | Lowest | Highest | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Electrolytic manganese 99.70% | 1975 | 1995 | USD per tonne |
| China, Tianjin Port | Electrolytic manganese metal 99.70% | 1930 | 1940 | USD per tonne, FOB |
| China, Tianjin Port | Manganese ingot 95# | 1985 | 1995 | USD per tonne, FOB |
| China, Tianjin Port | Manganese ingot 97# | 1995 | 2005 | USD per tonne, FOB |
The spread between the European assessment and the Chinese FOB quotation reflects freight, insurance, import handling and the different delivery obligations attached to each number. Buyers comparing offers should normalise both quotations to the same Incoterm and the same manganese basis before drawing conclusions about which source is cheaper.
Selecting the Right Grade
Grade selection starts with the impurity that the finished steel or alloy cannot tolerate. Low carbon stainless and special steels usually require the lowest phosphorus and carbon, which points to a 99.70% or 99.80% flake rather than a 99.50% product. Aluminium alloy producers look at iron and silicon because those elements remain in the alloy. Welding consumable makers look at selenium and sulphur, since residual selenium can affect deposit quality.
Practical ordering practice is to fix the manganese minimum, the impurity maxima, the size range and the packing, and then set the commercial basis: FOB port versus delivered, and whether the price is fixed on order or linked to a quotation period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is electrolytic manganese metal used for?
It is used to add manganese to low carbon and low phosphorus steels, stainless and special steels, aluminium alloys and welding consumables, where ferromanganese would introduce too much carbon or phosphorus.
Q: What grades of electrolytic manganese metal are available?
The common commercial grades are Mn 99.50%, Mn 99.70% and Mn 99.80% minimum, supplied as flake or piece, alongside manganese ingot grades such as 95# and 97#.
Q: What is the standard size of manganese flake?
Standard flake sizing is 10-50 mm, and producers will screen to a different range when a customer specifies it.
Q: Why does electrolytic manganese cost more than ferromanganese?
EMM is made by electricity-intensive electrowinning and delivers a much purer product, so it is used where low carbon and low phosphorus are worth the higher unit cost.
Q: What impurity elements are controlled in EMM?
Carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, iron, silicon and selenium are the elements normally limited in the specification, with tighter maxima as the manganese content increases.
Q: How are electrolytic manganese prices quoted?
Most quoted assessments are per tonne in US dollars, either on a delivered basis for a regional market or FOB at a named port.
Q: Does selenium content matter in manganese flake?
Yes. Selenium is added during electrowinning, so the residual selenium in the flake is part of the specification and is controlled most tightly by welding and special alloy producers.