Abstract
Manganese alloys are essential to the steel-making
industry, where they are primarily produced in submerged arc
furnaces (SAFs) using a mixture of manganese ores, slags, and
carbon-based reductants. However, this production process is one of
the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to
global warming and conflict with the International Energy Agency’s
Sustainable Development Goals targeting net-zero emissions by
2050. This review critically examines the key process variables,
including slag composition, reductant type, raw material properties,
particle size, and operating temperature, and their influence on environmental performance. Emerging technologies aimed at
decarbonizing Mn-alloy production are evaluated in terms of technical maturity and scalability. Among these, biocarbon substitution,
particularly the use of charcoal in place of coke, has demonstrated the highest commercial readiness, with several facilities operating
at full scale. Hydrogen-based reduction and plasma arc furnaces offer promising long-term solutions but require substantial
infrastructure development. Integrated approaches such as the Duplex FeMn-DRI, HAlMan, and AlloyStream processes show
potential for circular resource utilization, though most remain at the pilot scale. Overall, biocarbon-based methods currently
represent the most viable pathway for near-term decarbonization, while continued innovation and investment are essential to
advance other technologies toward industrial implementation.