Manganese Steel

Manganese steel is an alloy of steel containing 12-14% manganese. Renowned for its high impact resistance and abrasion resistance in its hardened state, steel is often described as the ultimate job hardening steel.

It is the most widely used alloy addition in steel manufacturing and is present in practically all grades of steel. Manganese (Mn) has three key advantages: it combines with sulfur in casting to improve the hot working properties of the resulting steel; acts as an antioxidant and contributes to the final toughness and hardness of steel.

Due to its self-hardening properties, manganese steel has been used in the mining industry for many years: cement mixers, rock crushers, track tracks for tractors, hoists and shovel buckets, as well as in industry railway (switches and crossings) and other high impact environments.

Until recently, manganese steel was used on window bars in prisons, as it makes it easier to chew the saw blades of potential fugitives. Today, steel is often used in safes, cabinets a bullet proof and anti-drill plates.

While manganese steel guarantees wear and work hardening properties, it is non-magnetic, making it ideal for use in electrical transformer assemblies and industrial lifting magnets.