Purpose: Major problems with smelting of light titanium-based alloys are related to their strong reactivity in the liquid phase with virtually all melting pot materials. Another problem regarding titanium alloy smelting is an unfavourable process of alloy component evaporation due to high melting temperatures of the alloys and significant differences in vapour pressures of their individual components. In the present paper, results of a study on manganese evaporation from the OT4 alloy are presented. Design/methodology/approach: The OT4 alloy contained 94.29, 3.50 and 1.49 %mass of Ti, Al and Mn, respectively. The experiments were performed at 5 to 1000 Pa for 1973 K and 2023 K. During each smelting experiment, metal samples were collected and analysed for titanium, aluminium and manganese contents. Findings: During inductive OT4 alloy smelting from the Ti-Al-Mn system at reduced pressure, significant manganese losses from the alloy are observed as a result manganese evaporation. For manganese and titanium, the evaporation coefficient Ω Mn/Ti values were within 12421–42899, while for manganese and aluminium (Ω Mn/Al), they were within 34 to 52, suggesting that, thermodynamically, there is a potential for intense manganese evaporation from the investigated alloy .Research limitations/implications: The study findings may be a basis for a full kinetic analysis of Mn evaporation from the OT4 alloy which enables determination of process-controlling stages.Practical implications: The study results regarding changes in manganese content in the OT4 alloy during its smelting with the use of VIM technology suggest that one of conditions that may limit the unfavourable process of manganese evaporation is shortening the smelting time or performing the process at about 1000 Pa. Originality/value:In literature, there are no data regarding results of studies on manganese elimination from Ti-Al-Mn alloys during their smelting.