Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number of 25. It is found as an oxide in nature (often in combination with iron) in many minerals, such as pyrolusite. [1] The free element is a metal with important industrial metal alloy uses. Manganese ions are variously colored, and are used industrially as pigments and as oxidation chemicals. Manganese (II) ions function as cofactors for a number of enzymes; the element is thus a required trace mineral for all known living organisms.
This is a list of countries by manganese ore mining in 2015, based on United States Geological Survey Archived 2017-05-13 at the Wayback Machine accessed in 2016.
Rank | Country/Region | Manganese production (tonnes) |
---|---|---|
World | 18,000,000 | |
1 | ![]() | 6,200,000 |
2 | ![]() | 3,000,000 |
3 | ![]() | 2,900,000 |
4 | ![]() | 1,800,000 |
5 | ![]() | 1,000,000 |
6 | ![]() | 950,000 |
7 | ![]() | 400,000 |
8 | ![]() | 390,000 |
9 | ![]() | 390,000 |
10 | ![]() | 390,000 |
11 | ![]() | 240,000 |
12 | ![]() | 100,000 |
Other countries | 740,000 |
In 1932 Hanson wrote the book on Manganese deposits of Canada. [3]
The Kalahari Manganese Field (KMF) located in the Northern Cape of South Africa is a source of manganese. [12]