Manganese(III) oxide Manganese(III) oxide Manganese(III) oxide is a chemical compound with the formula MnO. Heating MnO in air at below 800 °C produces α-MnO (higher temperatures produce MnO). γ-MnO can be produced by oxidation followed by dehydration of manganese(II) hydroxide. Many preparations of nano-crystalline MnO have been reported, for example syntheses involving oxidation of Mn salts or reduction of MnO. Manganese (III) oxide is formed by the redox reaction in an alkaline cell: Manganese (III) oxide MnO must not be confused with MnOOH manganese (III) oxyhydroxide. Contrary to MnO, MnOOH is a compound that decomposes at about 300 °C to form MnO.
Manganese alloyed with manganese was harder but not more brittle. In 1837, British academic James Couper noted an association between miners' heavy exposure to manganese with a form of Parkinson's disease. In 1912, United States patents were granted for protecting firearms against rust and corrosion with manganese phosphate electrochemical conversion coatings, and the process has seen widespread use ever since. The invention of the Leclanché cell in 1866 and the subsequent improvement of batteries containing manganese dioxide as cathodic depolarizer increased the demand for manganese dioxide. Until the development of batteries with nickel-cadmium and lithium, most batteries contained manganese. The zinc-carbon