Manganese (Mn) - Properties, Applications

Topics Covered

Introduction
Chemical Properties
Physical Properties
Mechanical Properties
Thermal Properties
Applications

Introduction

Manganese is a pinkish-gray, chemically active element with Mn as its symbol. It belongs to group 7, periodic number 4 of the periodic table. Its atomic number is 25.

Manganese is obtained from the minerals pyrolusite and rhodochriste. It is a hard and very brittle metal that reacts with water and dissolves in dilute acids. The metal tends to rust like iron when exposed to water.

Leading producers of manganese are Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Gabon and India.

Chemical Properties

The chemical properties of manganese are provided in the table below.

Physical Properties

The following table discusses the physical properties of manganese.

Mechanical Properties

The mechanical properties of manganese are tabulated below.

Thermal Properties

The thermal properties of manganese are tabulated below.

Applications

Almost 90% of the manganese produced annually is used in the production of steel.

The following are the application areas of manganese:

• To depolarize dry cells
• As an alloying component in a wide variety of steel and other alloys
• To provide glass an amethyst color and to provide color to amethyst gemstones

Manganese can be formed into many useful compounds. Some are listed below with their specific application areas:

• Potassium permanganate - used as a disinfectant
• Manganese oxide - in fertilizers and ceramics
• Manganese carbonate – as a starting material for making other manganese compounds
• Manganese dioxide - as a catalyst.