The lithium-ion battery (LiB) market is experiencing rapid growth driven by increased demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and portable electronics. The perpetually increasing demand for EV’s is mainly driven by the global sense of urgency to save our planet by adopting cleaner transportation methods to reduce our carbon emissions.
Current forecasts show that the EV LiB energy demand is set to increase by 500% between 2023 and 2030 and by 1200% between 2023 and 2040. Many batteries will have to be produced to satisfy this demand. Most of these batteries will contain Manganese in the form of High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HP MSM). The HP MSM market is expected to experience a boom in demand alongside the LiB and EV markets. In 2022 the global demand for HP MSM was 160 kt and current Cathode active material (CAM) forecasts show that demand for HP MSM is expected to grow to 800kt by 2030 (excluding new high Manganese battery chemistries).
Manganese can be used in a variety of different types of batteries, including:
• Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) batteries
• Lithium Manganese Nickel Oxide (LMNO) batteries
• Layered structure high Manganese formulation (NCM307) batteries
• Manganese Dioxide (MnO2) batteries
• Lithium Iron Manganese Phosphate (LMFP) batteries
Why is Manganese used in Lithium-ion batteries?
Increased capacity: Manganese can help increase lithium-ion batteries' capacity by up to 20%. This is because manganese has a high electrochemical potential, which means that it can store more lithium ions than other materials.
Improved safety: Manganese can help improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries and improve their safety by making them less prone to overheating and combustion. This is because manganese is a good conductor of heat, which helps to dissipate heat away from the battery.
Reduced cost: Manganese is a relatively inexpensive material that can help reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries. This is because manganese is more abundant than other materials used in lithium-ion batteries, such as Cobalt.
