Silicon Manganese

Silicon Manganese is produced depending on the resources available, either from silicious manganese ores or from manganese rich slags that are a by-product of Ferro Manganese production. It is used in its own right as an additive in the steel industry as a deoxidant or utilised in the production of other manganese alloys.

Silicon Manganese was first produced in the early 20th Century when Calcium Carbide furnaces were reconverted to produce ferro alloys. The typical chemistry of Silicon Manganese is Manganese 65%, Silicon 14%-16%, and Carbon 2% or lower. Worldwide production of Silicon Manganese exceeds that of Ferro Manganese of all grades and totals approximately 7.5 million tons.

Silicon reduces the solubility of carbon in manganese alloys so carbon contents are inversely proportional to the silicon content. Therefore Silicon Manganese is also used as an intermediary product for further processing into refined lower carbon ferro manganese grades.