Manganese Manganese Manganese is a chemical element with symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is not found as a free element in nature; it is often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a metal with important industrial metal alloy uses, particularly in stainless steels. Historically, manganese is named for pyrolusite and other black minerals from the region of Magnesia in Greece, which also gave its name to magnesium and the iron ore magnetite. By the mid-18th century, Swedish-German chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele had used pyrolusite to produce chlorine. Scheele and others were aware that pyrolusite (now known
Manganese(II) carbonate to give water-soluble salts. Manganese carbonate decomposes with release of carbon dioxide, i.e. calcining, at 200 °C to give MnO: This method is sometimes employed in the production of manganese dioxide, which is used in dry-cell batteries and for ferrites. Manganese carbonate is widely used as an additive to plant fertilizers to cure manganese deficient crops. It is also used in health foods, in ceramics as a glaze colorant and flux, and in concrete stains. It is used in medicine as a hematinic. Manganese poisoning, also known as manganism, may be caused by long-term exposure to manganese dust or fumes.