Manganese

Manganese, with the chemical symbol Mn, is a transition metal whose discovery dates back to the 18th century, credited to Swedish chemist Johan Gottlieb Gahn and German chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. It was first isolated from pyrolusite and named after the Latin word "magnes" (magnet).

On Earth, manganese ranks as the 12th most abundant element in the Earth's crust and is present in various minerals, including pyrolusite, rhodochrosite, and braunite. Manganese enhances the strength and hardness of steel alloys, making it widely utilized in the metallurgical industry.

Exciting applications for manganese span across different industries. It is used in the production of dry-cell batteries, glass, paints, and fertilizers. In the future, potential applications in energy storage and electromobility could emerge, as manganese compounds are involved in research on battery technologies.