Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide (EMD) & Electrolytic Manganese Metal Flakes

Alkaline-battery and lithium-manganese-oxide grade EMD (HS 2820.10), and 99.7% electrolytic manganese metal flakes (HS 8111.00), in bags by container

Electrolytic manganese dioxide is made by electrolysing a hot acidic manganese sulphate solution and stripping the gamma-phase MnO₂ that deposits on the anode; the product is milled, neutralised and washed to the pH and particle size the cell maker specifies. A US battery-industry patent describes EMD suitable for an alkaline cell as containing about 92% manganese dioxide, with the material better written as MnOₓ where x is typically 1.92 to 1.96 and around 1.95 to 1.96 for conventional EMD, and it carries residual sulphate and protons in the lattice. Grades follow the cell: alkaline-battery EMD is the largest segment at 49.5% of the market in 2025 by one industry estimate, zinc-carbon grade is smaller, and lithium-ion grade EMD, the precursor that is lithiated to lithium manganese oxide (LMO) spinel, is the fastest-growing at 8.4% a year; batteries take about 92% of EMD demand. Producers named in that study include CITIC Dameng, Tosoh, Xiangtan Electrochemical, Prince International and Tronox, and Tosoh, with plants at Hyuga in Japan and at Sindos outside Thessaloniki (the Greek plant is about 40% of the group's EMD capacity and the largest EMD producer in Europe), describes itself as holding the world's largest EMD capacity. Over 60% of world EMD output comes from China. India has MOIL's 1,500 MT-a-year EMD plant and Manmohan Minerals' 2,500 MT-a-year plant at Nagpur, which started in March 2025 at 30 MT a month with a target of 200 MT a month by June 2026. Manganese dioxide is declared under HS 2820.10.

Electrolytic manganese metal is the other electrowon product from the same sulphate chemistry and is sold as flakes at 99.7% Mn minimum (the common Chinese grade, carbon 0.01–0.04%) and at 99.9%; Manganese Metal Company at Mbombela in South Africa, in operation since 1974, is the only high-grade EMM producer outside China and the largest refinery of 99.9% selenium-free EMM, exporting about 95% of its output, more than a third of it to Japan, and it is commissioning a 6,000 MT-a-year high-purity manganese sulphate plant in 2026 with an 18,000 MT second phase planned. China produces most of the world's EMM, and its domestic EMM price returned to about CNY 18,000 a tonne in late January 2026 on restocking and higher raw-material costs. EMM flakes go to stainless and special steel, aluminium alloys, welding consumables and, dissolved, to battery-grade manganese sulphate; unwrought manganese is declared under HS 8111.00. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers EMD and EMM flakes from producer and trader parcels in China, India, Japan, Greece, the USA and South Africa against the producer's certificate of analysis (MnO₂ or Mn content, moisture, particle size, pH and impurities such as iron, copper, nickel, cobalt and selenium), a certificate of origin and a safety data sheet, with independent sampling by SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek at stuffing on first shipments. Both products move in 1 MT big bags or 25 kg bags in 20-foot containers on FOB, CFR and CIF terms; minimum lots are confirmed per product and pack. Send the grade, the impurity limits your cell or furnace is qualified to, tonnage and discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.