Manganese powder is a cost effective alloying element with a high hardenability. It is majorly used in powder metallurgy applications such as: a starting material for the preparation of manganese oxide for lithium ion batteries. a material used in surface alloying. sintering of steel to form manganese steel.
Most of the manganese produced is used in the form of ferromanganese and silicomanganese alloys for iron and steel manufacture. Manganese ores containing iron oxides are first reduced in blast furnaces or electric furnaces with carbon to yield ferromanganese, which in turn is used in steelmaking.
Manganese is used to make clear glass, to desulfurize and deoxidize steel in steel production and to reduce the octane rating in gasoline. It also is used as a black-brown pigment in paint and as filler in dry cell batteries. Its alloys help stiffen the aluminum in soft-drink cans, according to Chemicool.