Discovery Information
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Who: Johann Gahn |
When: 1774 |
Where: Sweden |
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Name Origin
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Latin: mangnes (magnet); Ital. manganese. |
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Sources
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Most abundant ores are pyrolusite (MnO2), psilomelane [(BaH2O)2Mn5O10] and rhodochrosite (MnCO3). Manganese is mined in South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Gabon and Australia. Vast quantities of manganese exist in
manganese nodules on the ocean floor. Attempts to find economically viable methods of harvesting manganese nodules were abandoned
in the 1970s.
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Uses
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Manganese is essential to iron and steel production, it also used in some aluminium alloys. It is also used in making; batteries, axles, rail switches, safes, ploughs and ceramics.
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Manganese is used to decolorize glass (removing the greenish tinge that presence of iron produces) and, in higher concentration, make violet-colored glass.
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Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is a potent oxidizer and used in chemistry and in medicine as a disinfectant.
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Notes
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More than 25 million tonnes of manganese ores are mined every year, representing 5 million tons of the metal, reserves of
manganese are estimated to exceed 3 billion tonnes.
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Manganese is one out of three toxic essential trace elements, which means that it is not only necessary for humans to survive,
but it is also toxic when too high concentrations are present in a human body. When people do not live up to the recommended
daily allowances their health will decrease. But when the uptake is too high health problems will also occur.
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