Umicore highlights manganese role in steel, EV batteries and catalysis

Umicore highlights manganese's central role in steelmaking, EV batteries and industrial catalysis, noting that around 90% of refining capacity, particularly for battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM), is concentrated in China. The company says it uses manganese in nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cathode materials and has developed lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) cathode-active materials that can be produced at its sites in Finland and Poland. Manganese acetate and manganese carbonate from its Cobalt and Specialty Materials business are used mainly as catalysts, including in purified terephthalic acid (PTA) production.

Key facts

Market context

Manganese is used mainly in steelmaking, where it removes impurities and improves strength, and it is also a key input for lithium-ion battery cathodes, especially nickel manganese cobalt chemistries used in electric vehicles and energy storage. Manganese compounds such as acetate and carbonate serve as catalysts and driers, including in the production of purified terephthalic acid, a building block for PET polymers. Other uses include coatings and inks, fertilizers, animal feed and agrochemicals. Battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate is a specialised intermediate, and refining capacity for it is heavily concentrated in one country, which makes supply chains sensitive to trade policy, export controls and shifts in regional refining investment. Buyers and investors typically watch such concentration when assessing security of supply and price volatility, particularly as battery demand grows and cathode producers look for alternative chemistries that reduce cobalt or nickel content.

Source: official release on umicore.com. Summary and context written by Market Krystal.