Manganese(II) nitrate Manganese(II) nitrate Manganese(II) nitrate are the inorganic compounds with formula Mn(NO)(HO). Each formula unit is composed of one Mn cation and two NO anions and varying amounts of water. Most common is the tetrahydrate Mn(NO)·4HO, but mono- and hexahydrates are also known as well as the anhydrous compound. Some of these compounds are useful precursors to the oxides of manganese. Manganese(II) nitrate is prepared by dissolving manganese(II) oxide in nitric acid: It can also be prepared from manganese dioxide and nitrogen dioxide: On heating to 300 °C, aqueous solutions of manganese(II) nitrate thermally decompose to form MnO and NO. Manganese(II)
Manganese phosphating), zinc and sometimes vanadium are viable substitutes. Manganese is essential to iron and steel production by virtue of its sulfur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties, as first recognized by the British metallurgist Robert Forester Mushet (1811–1891) who, in 1856, introduced the element, in the form of Spiegeleisen, into steel for the specific purpose of removing excess dissolved oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus in order to improve its malleability. Steelmaking, including its ironmaking component, has accounted for most manganese demand, presently in the range of 85% to 90% of the total demand. Manganese is a key component of low-cost stainless steel. Often