Manganese
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| General Properties | |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 25 |
| Atomic mass | 54.938amu |
| Atomic radius | 161pm |
| Electron Configuration | [Ar] 3d5 4s2 |
| Density | 7.21g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 1246°C |
| Boiling point | 2061°C |
| First discovered/ developed | 1774 |
| Most common compound on Earth | MnO2 (Pyrolusite ore) |
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Description and uses
Manganese is the 25th element of the periodic table. It was discovered in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in the form of pyrolusite ore, but it was thought to be of two
“sexes” in ancient times. One would attract iron, and is now known as the ore magnetite, the other would not, and is now known as
the ore pyrolusite (manganese oxide).
Manganese is mainly used in steel production due to it decreasing the alloy's brittleness, and it removes sulfur
and oxygen from iron ores. Steels using manganese include stainless steel and carbon steel. It also alloys readily
with aluminium, and it is used to reduce the corrosion of the alloy.
Manganese only has one naturally occuring isotope, being 55Mn. It also has one isotope with a long half-life: 53Mn, with a half-life of 3.7
million years.