Why we choose Selenium free

MMC chooses to employ a selenium free process. Selenium free manganese (99.9% Mn) is purer, safer and more environmentally friendly than selenium containing manganese (99.7% Mn).

Selenium is unique among trace elements in that toxicity can occur at concentrations only slightly higher that those required for normal metabolism.
The use of selenium in manganese production has the following detrimental effects:

Selenium free manganese is purer

The selenium contamination of electrolytic manganese results in a product with a metal purity of 99.7% Mn, whereas selenium free manganese has a metal purity of 99.9% Mn. The selenium content in manganese metal produced using the selenium technology can be as high as 0.15%.

Hydrogen selenide and other selenium compounds are toxic

Selenium compounds are hazardous to the environment

• MMC developed an Integrated Water and Waste Management Plan (IWWMP) for the MMC plant operations, the Pappas Quarry and Kingston Vale waste sites in Mbombela. The IWWMP is a plan to improve water and waste management. The plan and related work is focussed on the waste water management of the MMC site. The continuous development of the IWWMP is prompted by constant improvement and company sustainability, as well as the ISO 14001 requirements.
• The IWWMP strategy objectives focus on process and waste water processes which include the closing of process water circuits and improving the recycling and reuse of individual circuits; the investigation and implementation of water pinching measures in ongoing to aid with the closing of process water circuits and improving the recycling and reuse of individual circuits, to reduce process water usage in general. Water management includes water reuse by means of filtering and water recycling by means of treatment and water pinching.
• All waste produced at MMC is listed. Complete records are filed according to the amount of waste discharged and the final location of disposal. The cradle-to-grave management principle is applied at MMC, to ensure that the waste is discarded in a responsible manner.