Manganese is a gray-white metal that occurs naturally as compounds in minerals. It was discovered in 1774 by Johan Gottlieb Gahn when he heated the mineral pyrolusite. Manganese is the 12th most abundant element in the Earth's crust and is essential in steel production. It is commonly obtained by heating manganese dioxide with carbon or aluminum. Major uses include steel production, glass decolorization, and manganese oxide in batteries and pigments.

1. Manganese
By: Colleen McKiernan

2. History
• What does the element’s name mean?
– Its name came the compound in Latin ‘magnes’
which is used in glass-making.
• Where was it discovered?
– It was discovered by heating the mineral
pyrolusite (MnO2) in the presence of charcoal
• Who discovered it?
– It was discovered by Swedish chemist
Johan Gottlieb Gahn in 1774.

3. Properties
• What is it's state at room temperature?
– Solid
• What is it's color?
– Gray-white
• What is it's melting and boiling points?
– Melting: 1247 °C
– Boiling: 2061 °C
• What is it's density?
– 7.43 g/cm3 at 20°C
• Are any of these properties important in the
• common uses of the element?
– It is so brittle that it cannot be machined in its pure form.
– It reacts more rapidly at higher temperatures.
• What are the major isotopes, and are there any important uses of any
radioactive isotope?
– It has 21 isotopes with mass numbers 46 to 66. 55Mn is the only stable isotope.
– None of the radioactive isotopes have any important uses.

4. Availability
• Where is the element found?
– Manganese never occurs in nature as a pure element, so it always
combines with oxygen or other elements.
– It is found mixed with iron ores. The largest producers of manganese ore in
the world are China, South Africa, the Ukraine, Brazil, Australia, Gabon, and
Kazakstan.
– Manganese also occurs abundantly on the ocean floor in the form of
nodules.
– Manganese is also found in the Earth’s crust and is the 12th most abundant
element found there.
• What do people have to do to get the element?
– The usual method for producing pure manganese is to heat manganese
dioxide (MnO 2 ) with carbon or aluminum. These elements remove the
oxygen and leave the pure metal.
• How much does the element typically cost?
– $6.5 per 100g

5. Uses
• What are the primary uses of the element by itself?
– Manganese is essential to iron and steel production. It is
a key component of low-cost stainless steel formulations
and certain widely used aluminum alloys.
– Manganese is used to decolorize glass and make violet
colored glass.
What are the major compounds containing this
element, and what are they used for?
– Manganese oxide goes into fertilizers and ceramics and
is also used as a black-brown pigment in paint and as a
filler in dry cell batteries.
– Manganese carbonate is the starting material for
making other manganese compounds.

6. Fun Facts
• Manganese is one of the chemical elements that
has both positive and negative effects on living
organisms.
– A very small amount of the element is needed to
maintain good health in plants and animals. If
manganese is missing from the diet, enzymes do not
operate efficiently leading cells to die and the organism
to become sick.
– An excess of manganese can create health problems
including weakness, sleepiness, tiredness, emotional
disturbances, and paralysis.

7. Works Cited
• "Manganese." Chemicool Periodic Table. Chemicool.com. 17 Jun.
2011. Web. 11/18/2011<http://www.chemicool.com
/elements/manganese.html>.
• "Manganese, Chemical Element - Overview, Discovery and
Naming, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties,
Occurrence in Nature, Isotopes." Chemistry: Foundations
and Applications. Advameg, Inc. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/L-
P/Manganese.html>.
• "Manganese (Mn) - Chemical Properties, Health and
Environmental Effects." Water Treatment and Purification -
Lenntech. Lenntech. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.<http://www.
lenntech.com/periodic/elements/mn.htm>.