Manganese ore is a mineral that plays a crucial role in iron and steel production, serving as a fundamental raw material in the alloy’s manufacturing process. Manganese ore is available in the form of ferro and silico manganese alloys.
India is the world’s fifth-largest producer of manganese ore, after Brazil, Gabon, South Africa, and Australia. Its production stood at 1.65 million metric tons as of FY 2023 and has increased since the early 2000s.
Despite India being the fifth largest raw material producer, manganese ore consumption is one of the key indicators of industrial development in any country. It is important to understand the complexities of manganese ore and how it can influence manganese ore prices, global demand, etc.
This blog will explain the world of manganese ore, from its uses and production landscape to market demand in India.
Uses of Manganese Ore
Manganese in alloy form is an essential input in steelmaking and is one of the most important metals in an industrial economy. In its major applications, manganese has no satisfactory substitute.
It is hard, brittle in nature, and silvery in color. Most of the time, manganese is available in combination with laterite, iron, and other minerals. These ores are also the world’s largest producers of ferroalloys, accounting for approximately 41% of global ferroalloy production.
The manganese of major commercial importance are pyrolusite, psilomelane (manganese oxide) containing water and varying amounts of oxides such as Ba, K, and Na as impurities, and Manganite.
As of 2014–15, consumption of manganese ore in all industries was about 4.19 million tons with silico manganese at 63%, Ferro manganese at 30%, iron and steel at 6%, and 1% for chemical, alloy steel, and glass, battery, and zinc smelter industries.
Major Industries Uses of Manganese
- Batteries
- Ceramics
- Chemicals
- Welding industries
Some other uses include manufacturing paints, insecticides, batteries, bleaching powder, and china clay.
Let’s examine the iron and steel industry, which uses 90 to 95% of the world’s manganese ore production for its metallurgy.
It is used in both its ore form and ferromanganese in the iron and steel industry
- That helps with deoxidizing, sulfur fixing, and providing good alloying properties
- Improves the toughness, strength, workability, and hardness of steel
- It keeps ingots free of blowholes
Production and Market Demand for Manganese Ore in India
India has become the leading producer of this steel, adding manganese to replace the costly nickel. The major component that has driven the production of manganese alloys is the high production growth of low-nickel austenitic stainless steel.
Major manganese ore deposits are primarily located in
- Madhya Pradesh (Balghat, Jhabua, and Chhindwara districts)
- Maharashtra (Nagpur and Bhandara districts)
- Gujarat (Pasnchmahal district)
- Odisha (Sundargarh, Ganjam, and Koraput districts)
- Andhra Pradesh ( Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, and districts)
State-wise Odisha has the highest manganese deposits, followed by Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Goa, respectively.
Rajasthan, Gujarat, and West Bengal collectively share the remaining 2% of resources.
In the past few years, manganese ore has acquired importance due to trade volume growth in India and across the world. This increase in demand is primarily due to the increase in steel production capacity, particularly in many developing countries, and it is also affecting the prices of manganese ore lumps in India.
As of 2023, India is the world’s sixth-largest manganese importer.
Despite abundant resources as of 2023, India is the sixth largest importer of manganese in the world because the domestic production of manganese ore in the recent past has not been able to keep pace with the present demand due to various reasons.
The shortage is met through imports; another reason is that the grade of manganese produced in India has been a matter of concern and has turned out to be lower and lower in the past years. The country imports high-grade manganese to cover domestic lean ores to meet the industry’s demand.
Domestic consumption and demand for manganese ore have increased sharply because of the increased production of manganese-based alloys, which are consumed indigenously and also exported. However, the availability of suitable grades poses a challenge to the manganese-based alloy industry.
Although the production of manganese ore in the country is in decline, the production of value-added products, namely ferromanganese and silicomanganese, has witnessed a substantial increase. The higher demand for manganese ore in this sector is met through imports. The country is now the world’s second-largest exporter of silicomanganese.
Conclusion
Manganese ore plays an important role in various industries, making it a vital raw material for India’s economy.
Understanding the dynamics of manganese ore is essential, whether you deal with it directly or indirectly. Taking into account usage, production, and demand when dealing with manganese ore prices can help you maximize the potential of your business.