Crusher Parts Material Guide: Manganese Steel, High Chrome Iron & Cera

The material of your crusher wear parts is the single most important factor determining how long they last, how well they perform, and ultimately, your cost per ton. Yet many operators choose wear parts based solely on price or what they’ve always used — missing opportunities to extend wear life by 20–50%.

Every crushing application is different. The right material for a jaw crusher in a limestone quarry is wrong for an impact crusher in an iron ore mine. Understanding the three families of crusher wear part materials — manganese steel, high chrome iron, and ceramic composites — gives you the power to optimize wear life for your specific rock, crusher type, and operating conditions.

In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about crusher parts materials:

• How manganese steel work-hardens — and why Mn13, Mn18, and Mn22 are different

• Why high chrome iron is the standard for impact crusher blow bars in abrasive applications

• How ceramic composites can double wear life in extreme conditions

• Which material to choose for your crusher, rock type, and application

Whether you’re buying jaw plates, mantles and concaves, or blow bars, this guide will help you make informed, cost-effective decisions.

H2: The Three Families of Crusher Wear Part Materials

Each family has multiple grades. Choosing the right grade within the family — and the right family for your application — is the key to optimizing crusher parts life.

H2: Manganese Steel – The Work-Hardening Wonder

Manganese steel (also called Hadfield steel, after its inventor) is the standard material for jaw crusher wear parts, cone crusher wear parts, and gyratory crusher wear parts. It is also used for impact crusher blow bars when tramp iron (rebar, bolts) is present in the feed.

How manganese steel works

Manganese steel has a unique property: work-hardening. Under impact, the surface of the steel hardens dramatically — from about 200–250 HB (as-cast or heat-treated) to 500–550 HB — while the core remains tough and ductile.

The harder the impact, the harder the surface becomes. This makes manganese steel ideal for crusher applications where high impact forces are guaranteed.

But work-hardening has a limit: if the impact energy is too low (soft rock, small feed size), the surface never hardens enough. The wear part will wear faster than a lower-grade steel (or even a cheaper material) — while costing more.

Manganese steel grades: Mn13, Mn18, Mn22

The number (13, 18, 22) refers to the percentage of manganese in the alloy. Higher manganese content = higher work-hardening potential, but also higher cost and different application requirements.

How to choose the right manganese grade

⚠️ Critical: Higher manganese grade is NOT always better. Using Mn22 in a soft limestone crusher means the material will never work-harden. You’ll pay more for wear parts that actually wear out faster than Mn13. Always match the grade to your impact level.

Manganese steel for different crusher types

BDI Wear Parts supplies manganese steel crusher parts in all standard grades, with full material certifications.

H2: High Chrome Iron – The Abrasion Fighter

High chrome iron (also called high chromium white iron) is the standard material for impact crusher blow bars and impact plates when the feed is clean (no tramp iron) and highly abrasive.

How high chrome iron works

High chrome iron contains 15–25% chromium and 2–4% carbon, forming extremely hard chromium carbides (700–800 HB) within a tough martensitic matrix. The result is a material with excellent abrasion resistance but lower impact resistance than manganese steel.

High chrome iron grades for blow bars

When to use high chrome iron

Use high chrome blow bars when:

• Your feed is clean (no tramp iron — no rebar, bolts, tools, etc.)

• Your material is abrasive (river gravel, quartzite, iron ore, hard granite)

• You want maximum wear life between blow bar changes

Do NOT use high chrome blow bars when:

• Your feed contains tramp iron (rebar, bolts, tools, large metal pieces)

• You have high impact shocks (oversized feed, large rocks dropping from height)

• Your crusher is used for recycling concrete with rebar

Why tramp iron is deadly to high chrome

High chrome iron is brittle. A single piece of rebar or a large bolt entering the crusher can:

• Crack a high chrome blow bar in half

• Crack an impact plate

• Cause catastrophic rotor damage (balance destroyed, rotor repair or replacement)

Even one tramp iron event can destroy a set of blow bars in seconds.

High chrome for other crusher parts

✅ Rule of thumb: If your feed has any risk of tramp iron, use manganese steel blow bars. If your feed is clean and abrasive, high chrome will outlast manganese by 2–4x.

BDI Wear Parts supplies high chrome blow bars in Cr15, Cr20, and Cr26 grades, with full material certifications.

H2: Ceramic Composites – Maximum Abrasion Resistance

Ceramic composite wear parts embed ceramic particles (typically alumina, Al₂O₃) into a metallic matrix — usually high chrome iron or a specialized alloy. The ceramic particles are extremely hard (1,500–2,000 HB), providing maximum abrasion resistance while the metal matrix provides toughness.

How ceramic composites work

In a ceramic composite blow bar:

• Ceramic particles (millimetre-scale) are distributed throughout the working face

• The ceramic takes the initial abrasion — wearing very slowly

• The metal matrix holds the ceramic and absorbs impact

The result is a wear part that lasts 1.5–2.5x longer than high chrome iron in extremely abrasive applications.

Ceramic composite grades

When to use ceramic composite wear parts

Use ceramic composites when:

• Your feed is extremely abrasive (iron ore, quartzite, highly abrasive granite)

• Your tonnage is high — the longer life pays for the higher upfront cost

• Downtime is very expensive — longer intervals between blow bar changes are critical

• Your feed is clean (no tramp iron — ceramic composites are also brittle)

Do NOT use ceramic composites when:

• Your feed contains tramp iron (same brittleness issue as high chrome)

• Your abrasion is low to medium (the extra life doesn’t justify the cost)

• You have low tonnage (payback period too long)

The economics of ceramic composites

Example: A high-tonnage iron ore operation replacing blow bars every 200 hours (high chrome) could extend to 400–500 hours with ceramic composite. Even at 50% higher upfront cost, the cost per ton drops by 25–40%, and downtime for changes is cut in half.

✅ Rule of thumb: Ceramic composites are not for everyone. But if you are changing blow bars every 100–200 hours and your feed is clean, ceramic composites will almost certainly lower your cost per ton.

BDI Wear Parts supplies ceramic composite blow bars and impact plates for most major impact crusher brands.

H2: Material Selection by Crusher Type and Application

Use this decision matrix to choose the right crusher parts material for your operation.

Jaw crusher wear parts (jaw plates)

Cone crusher wear parts (mantle and concave)

Impact crusher blow bars

✅ Key message for your customers: No single material is best for all applications. The right crusher parts material depends on your rock, crusher type, and feed conditions. BDI Wear Parts can help you match the material to your application.

H2: How to Verify You’re Getting the Material You Paid For

Not all suppliers are honest about crusher parts materials. Some sell lower-grade material (e.g., Mn14 when you ordered Mn18) and hope you won’t test it.

What to ask for from your supplier

Red flags to watch for

Simple field tests (for experienced personnel)

BDI Wear Parts provides full material certifications with every crusher parts shipment. You know exactly what you’re getting.

H2: BDI Wear Parts – Your Material Expert for Crusher Parts

At BDI Wear Parts, we don’t just sell parts — we help you choose the right crusher parts material for your specific application.

What we offer:

Why Canadian customers choose BDI for crusher parts materials:

H2: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

H3: Q1: What is the difference between Mn13, Mn18, and Mn22 manganese steel? Which one should I use?

A: The number refers to the percentage of manganese in the alloy. Higher manganese content = higher work-hardening potential, but requires higher impact energy to achieve that hardening.

Critical: Higher grade is NOT always better. Using Mn22 in a soft limestone crusher will result in FASTER wear than Mn13, because the Mn22 never work-hardens. You pay more for worse performance.

How to choose:

• Soft rock, low impact → Mn13

• Medium rock, moderate impact → Mn14 or Mn18

• Hard rock, high impact → Mn18

• Very hard rock, large feed, extreme impact → Mn18Cr2 or Mn22

• Abrasive hard rock → Mn18Cr2 (chromium adds abrasion resistance)

If you are unsure, BDI Wear Parts can analyze your rock type and crusher conditions to recommend the optimal manganese grade. We also offer trial quantities so you can test performance before committing to large orders.

H3: Q2: When should I use high chrome iron vs manganese steel for blow bars?

A: The choice depends entirely on whether your feed contains tramp iron (rebar, bolts, tools, etc.) and the abrasiveness of your material.

Key rule: If there is ANY risk of tramp iron entering your impact crusher, do NOT use high chrome or ceramic blow bars. Use manganese steel (Mn18). The cost of a destroyed rotor far outweighs any wear life benefit from high chrome.

BDI Wear Parts supplies both high chrome and manganese steel blow bars. Tell us about your feed material and tramp iron risk, and we’ll recommend the right material.

H3: Q3: Are ceramic composite wear parts worth the extra cost?

A: Yes — in the right application. Ceramic composite wear parts (typically blow bars) cost 30–60% more than high chrome, but last 1.5–2.5x longer. The economics work when:

Ceramic composites make sense when:

• Your material is extremely abrasive (iron ore, quartzite, highly abrasive granite)

• Your tonnage is high — you change blow bars frequently (every 100–200 hours or less)

• Downtime is very expensive — longer intervals between changes reduce lost production

• Your feed is clean (no tramp iron — ceramic composites are also brittle)

Ceramic composites are NOT worth it when:

• Your material has low to medium abrasion — the extra life is incremental, not transformative

• Your tonnage is low — the payback period is too long

• You have any tramp iron risk — one tramp iron event destroys expensive ceramic blow bars

Example economics (blow bars for 500 tph impact crusher, hard granite, clean feed):

Result: Lower cost per hour AND fewer downtime events. Ceramic composites pay for themselves in this application.

BDI Wear Parts can provide a cost-benefit analysis for your specific operation. We’ll compare estimated life and cost per ton for high chrome vs ceramic composite based on your material and tonnage.

Conclusion: Choose the Right Material and Lower Your Cost Per Ton

The material of your crusher wear parts is not a detail — it’s a major driver of your operating cost. By matching the material to your rock type, crusher, and operating conditions:

• Manganese steel (Mn13, Mn18, Mn22) for jaw, cone, and gyratory crushers — and for impact crusher blow bars when tramp iron is present

• High chrome iron (Cr15, Cr20, Cr26) for impact crusher blow bars in clean, abrasive applications

• Ceramic composites for extreme abrasion, high tonnage, clean feed

…you can extend wear life, reduce downtime, and lower your cost per ton.

BDI Wear Parts brings material expertise, full certifications, and Canada-focused logistics to every order. We help you choose the right material for your application — not just sell you what’s in stock.

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