Manganese

What is Manganese ?

Manganese is a chemical element belonging to the transition metal group. It is hard, silvery white, and brittle. Although manganese is an essential element, it does not exist freely in nature. It is found in combination with other minerals, like iron. It oxidized easily but was hard to melt. In its pure form, it is highly reactive. Manganese has many vital uses in various applications, making it an essential chemical element.

Where is Manganese obtained?

Manganese does not occur naturally on its own but is found in a number of minerals and ores like bruanite, pyrolousite, and psilomelane. A trace amount of manganese is present in the atmosphere and ocean water, but it’s difficult and impractical to get manganese on the ocean floor. Manganese is found in oxide form and obtained by reducing with magnesium, sodium, or aluminum through the process of electrolysis. The main producers of manganese are Australia, Africa, China, and Gabon.

History of Manganese

The use of manganese has been practiced since ancient times. Black ore, also known as pyrolusite or manganese dioxide, was used by cave artists in France 30,000 years ago. It was in 1774 that manganese was recognized as an element by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, a Swedish chemist. He was working with pyrolusite when he discovered manganese. His associate, Johan Gottlieb Gahn, was able to isolate the element that same year.

Classification, Properties and Characteristics of Manganese

The typical characteristic of manganese is its gray-white color and hard yet brittle characteristics. When exposed to air, it tarnishes, and when heated, it oxidizes. Although it is named manganese, it’s ironic that it is not magnetic. It has more than one oxidation state, which is a typical characteristic of chemical elements in the transition metal group.

Lewis Dot Structure of Manganese

Bohr’s Atomic Model of Manganese

Atomic Data of Manganese

Physical Properties of Manganese

Color	Grayish-white
Odor	Odorless
Taste	Tasteless
Atomic Mass	54.9380 g.mol-1
Weight	54.938
Density	7.3
Atomic Radius	135
Ionization Energy	7,434
Covalent Radius	117
Ionic Radius	46 (+7e) 80 (+2e)
Electronic Gain Enthalpy	281 kJ mol-1
Electron Negativity	1.55
Electron Affinity	0
Melting Point	1246°C, 2275°F, 1519 K
Boiling Point	2061°C, 3742°F, 2334 K

Chemical Properties of Manganese

Atomic Number	25
Group	7
Period	4
Block	d
Electronic Configuration	[Ar] 3d54s2
Combustion	Highly flammable in dust and powder form
Chemical Reactivity	Reactive in pure form
Valency of Element	4

Different States of Manganese

As a transition metal, manganese is solid at room temperature. It melts at a temperature of 1246 degrees Celsius. The boiling point of manganese is 2061 degrees Celsius. 

What are the common uses of Manganese ?

• Manganese is one of the components used to produce a wide array of alloys.
• It is used to deoxidize and desulfurize steel.
• Manganese is used in dry cell batteries.
• One of the components used to produce the black-brown pigment in paint is manganese.
• Manganese has biological roles, especially in humans.
• Manganese is used to decolorize glass, especially violet-colored glass.
• Manganese compound, in the form of manganese dioxide, is used in the production of clear glass.
• Silica glass is tinted green, and to add a purple tint to the glass, manganese is used; thus, the reason why glassmakers tagged silica as “glassmaker’s soap.”
• Steel made from manganese is used for rifle barrels, railway tracks, and safe and prison bars because of its durability.
• Soda cans contain manganese to combat corrosion.
• Manganese compounds in the form of manganese sulphate are vital in making fungicide.
• Manganese plays a vital role in the process of photosynthesis. It helps the plants create oxygen.
• Manganese has metabolic functions. About 10 to 20 mg of manganese are present in the human body. However, it can’t be stored in the body, and so humans need to replenish manganese in the body through diet.
• Other species have the ability to store manganese, such as mollusks, diatoms, and sponges.
• Manganese is helpful in the treatment of various medical conditions such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and epilepsy, to name a few.
• Manganese is used to reduce the octane rating in gasoline.
• Manganese is used to create a purple color in some gemstones, like amethyst.

Price of Manganese

The cost of manganese depends on supply and demand. Pure manganese is priced at $6.5 per 100 grams. If you purchase in bulk, the cost is around $0.28 per 100 grams. 

Interesting facts about Manganese

• Don’t you know that manganese is at its peak of reactivity when it is in powder or pure form?
• Manganese burns in oxygen and is highly reactive with water. It needs diluted acid to dissolve it.
• Humans need to top up manganese in the body because the body does not have the ability to store it.
• Don’t you know that manganese comes from the Greek word “magnes,”  which means “magnet”? Although it is ironic to be named that way because manganese does not have the characteristics of a magnet, However, if you combine manganese with copper, antimony, or aluminum, the end product is ferromagnetic.
• A high level of manganese compounds is found in soil, such as oxides and hydroxides.
• Don’t you know that manganese ranks fifth on the list of the most abundant metals in the earth’s crust.
• Some food sources contain a high level of manganese, and examples include tea, spinach, some herbs, soybeans, rice, grains, nuts, eggs, green beans, olive oil, and oysters.
• Some parts of the body contain manganese, such as the kidneys, liver, bones, and pancreas. Manganese helps improve the blood’s clotting factor, regulate sex hormones, and form the connective tissues and bones.
• Don’t you know that about 25 million tons of manganese ores are mined on a yearly basis?
• About 90% of mined manganese is primarily used for making steel.
• Some enzymes in the body contain manganese, specifically those enzymes responsible for metabolizing fats and carbohydrates.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. https://byjus.com/chemistry/manganese
2. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/25/manganese
3. https://www.britannica.com/science/manganese
4. https://www.livescience.com/29247-manganese.html
5. https://www.thoughtco.com/manganese-facts-606557
6. https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/mn.htm
7. https://www.chemicool.com/elements/manganese.html
8. https://www.ducksters.com/science/chemistry/manganese.php
9. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Manganese#section=Atomic-Radius
10. https://www.coolkidfacts.com/manganese-facts/