"
In addition to the steel industry, manganese is also utilized in animal feed and fertilizers, two sectors with demand that will continue to grow in concert with the world’s population.
Moving forward, we see significant growth in the manganese market due to its applications in clean energy. More specifically, we anticipate the growing use of nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) electric vehicle batteries and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries to be major catalysts for manganese demand. NiMH batteries are predominantly used in hybrid vehicles, including the Toyota Prius. The Li-ion battery, of course, takes center-stage due to Tesla’s notoriety and lofty production targets.
The newest up-and-coming technology to use manganese is the so-called lithiated manganese dioxide (LMD) battery. A typical LMD battery uses 61% of manganese in its mix and only 4% lithium. LMDs have numerous benefits, including providing higher power output, thermal stability, and improved safety compared to regular lithium-ion batteries.
LMDs are already in production, and are currently used in electric cars like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. These cheaper electric cars, as opposed to the narrower luxury-segment that Tesla operates in, should be a significant part of the budding clean energy revolution.
Finally, there is a game-changing application of manganese worth mentioning: off-the-grid power. Tesla and its Powerwall batteries are breaking ground here, and the market is only poised to grow."
"“We look at the macro dynamics of the manganese industry; we see more new demand coming from the high-end manufacturing and hi-tech sectors; for example, electric cars and batteries will have manganese as a component, and we want to catch up with that to produce high-end products to supply the market,”
"Research at the University of Illinois has achieved an advanced prototype battery, using Lithiated Manganese that can be recharged in as little as two minutes (equivalent to filling a gas tank)."
GMC Price at posting:
0.8¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
