Manganin is a trademarked name for an alloy of typically 84% copper, 12% manganese, and 4% nickel. It was first developed by Edward Weston in 1892, improving upon his Constantan (1887).

Manganin foil and wire is used in the manufacture of resistors, particularly ammeter shunts, because of its virtually zero temperature coefficient of resistance value and long term stability. Several Manganin resistors served as the legal standard for the ohm in the United States from 1901 to 1990. Manganin wire is also used as an electrical conductor in cryogenic systems, minimizing heat transfer between points which need electrical connections.

Manganin is also used in gauges for studies of high-pressure shock waves (such as those generated from the detonation of explosives) because it has low strain sensitivity but high hydrostatic pressure sensitivity.
 

Manganin is a copper-manganese-nickel alloy with a low strain sensitivity, but a relatively high sensitivity to hydrostatic pressure. Resistance change as a function of applied pressure is linear to extremely high pressures. This characteristic has been utilized in the construction of high-range fluid pressure cells using manganin wire for many years. Manganin gages are used extensively in high-pressure shock wave studies ranging from 1 to over 400 kilobars
(1 bar = 14.5 psi = 100 000 N/m2). In conventional applications, the gage is bonded between two flat metallic or polymer plates.

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