Element 25 · Transition Metal
Manganese
Manganese is essential to steel production — but appears in scrap only as an alloying element, never as standalone metal.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Mn
ATOMIC NO.
25
ATOMIC WEIGHT
54.94
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 4
GROUP
Group 7
Key Properties
Manganese is element 25, a hard, brittle transition metal that resembles iron but is grey-white in colour. It is the 12th most abundant element in the Earth's crust. South Africa, Australia, and Gabon dominate global production.
Origins
Sir Robert Hadfield's 1882 invention of manganese steel (Hadfield steel, ~12% manganese) was a metallurgical breakthrough — the alloy work-hardens dramatically under impact, making it ideal for railway points, rock crusher jaws, and mining equipment.
Modern Applications
About 90% of manganese is used in steelmaking, both as a deoxidiser and as an alloying element. Carbon steel typically contains 0.2–0.8% manganese; high-strength low-alloy steels contain up to 2%; Hadfield steel contains 12–14% for impact-hardening applications. Smaller uses include batteries (alkaline batteries use manganese dioxide cathodes), aluminium alloys, and pigments.
At the Yard
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Manganese:
Like vanadium, manganese exists in steel scrap only as an alloying element within the iron matrix and cannot be separately recovered economically. There is no consumer-level manganese scrap market. The element flows into the global steel scrap stream and is recovered (along with the iron) as recycled steel.
Market Value
Manganese is a steel-industry commodity rather than a scrap-traded item.