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 as rhodochrosite (MnCO). The most important manganese ore is pyrolusite (MnO). Other economically important manganese ores usually show a close spatial relation to the iron ores. Land-based resources are large but irregularly distributed. About 80% of the known world manganese resources are in South Africa; other important manganese deposits are in Ukraine, Australia, India, China, Gabon and Brazil. According to 1978 estimate, the ocean floor has 500 billion tons of manganese nodules. Attempts to find economically viable methods of harvesting manganese nodules were abandoned in the 1970s. The CIA once used mining manganese modules on the ocean floor as a