Appearance
Manganese is a grey - white metal, resembling Iron, but is harder and very brittle.

Source
Manganese minerals are widely distributed, Pyrolusite and Rhodochrosite being the most common. Manganese nodules have been found on the floor of the oceans. These nodules contain about 24% Manganese together with many other elements in lesser abundance.

Uses
Manganese is used to form many important alloys. It gives steel a hard yet pliant quality, and with Aluminium and Antimony it forms highly ferromagnetic alloys.

Manganese (IV) oxide is used as a depolariser in dry cells, and to decolourise glass coloured green by Iron impurities. Manganese (II) oxide is a powerful oxidising agent and is used in quantitative analysis and in medicine.

General Information
Manganese is reactive chemically, and decomposes cold water slowly. It is reactive, even when impure, and will burn in Oxygen.

Manganese is an essential element. Without it, bones grow spongier and break easily. It activates many enzymes and may be essential for utilization of Vitamin B. Exposure to Manganese dust, fumes and compounds should be avoided as it is a suspected carcinogen.