What are the common uses of manganese?

Element Manganese (Mn), Group 7, Atomic Number 25, d-block, Mass 54.938. Sources, facts, uses, scarcity (SRI), podcasts, alchemical symbols, videos and images. read more

Uses of Manganese. Engine knocking is reduced by the use of a manganese compound in unleaded gasoline (also called petrol). This boosts the fuel’s octane rating. Manganese is used in standard disposable batteries, but this use is becoming less common as lithium battery technology improves. Manganese is essential in the production of steel and iron and this makes up the most common use of this metal. read more

Manganese(IV) oxide is used as a catalyst, a rubber additive and to decolourise glass that is coloured green by iron impurities. Manganese sulfate is used to make a fungicide. Manganese(II) oxide is a powerful oxidising agent and is used in quantitative analysis. It is also used to make fertilisers and ceramics. read more

Pyrolusite (manganese dioxide) is one of the most common manganese minerals. Credit: farbled | Shutterstock Manganese is a very hard, brittle, gray-white transition metal that is naturally found in a variety of minerals, but never on its own. read more

Manganese is one of the most common elements in Earth's crust and is widely distributed across the planet's surface. Manganese is vital to human and animal life in metabolic functions. Many alloys containing manganese are used in steel production, glass making, and even to make the aluminum in soda cans thinner and stronger. read more