Manganese (Mn) Mineral Deposits In The Nigerian States

When it comes to natural mineral deposits, Nigeria is one of the top African countries that is richly blessed and with most of the mineral deposits yet untapped.

Manganese is deposited in the following states in Nigeria; Bauchi, Cross River, Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Plateau, and Nasarawa.

 

Manganese is the 12th most abundant element on earth crust; it has a symbol of Mn, an atomic number of 25, a melting point of 1,246°C, and a boiling point of 2,061°C.

It is a metal with a silvery-grey colour like that of an iron, it’s brittle, hard, tarnishes slowly in air and oxidizes.

Manganese minerals do not occur freely in nature and most times consist of oxides, silicates, and carbonates, minerals with manganese ore include pyrolusite (MnO₂), braunite (Mn²⁺Mn³⁺₆)(SiO₁₂), psilomelane (Ba,H₂O)₂Mn₅O₁₀, and rhodochrosite (MnCO₃).

The demand for Manganese in Nigeria is on the increasing side as it is mostly used in the steel industries because of its physical and chemical properties, and there are also numerous local and international companies in Nigeria that are engaged in the commercial mining of Manganese which is exported to other African countries and beyond.

Uses of Manganese 

• Due to its brittle nature, it is used as alloys in stainless steel. 

• It’s also used in dry cell batteries.
  

• Drinks cans are made of an alloy of aluminium with 1.5% manganese, to improve resistance to corrosion.

• It forms highly magnetic alloys with aluminium, antimony, and copper.

• Manganese (IV) oxide is used as a catalyst, a rubber additive, and to decolorize glass that is colored green by iron impurities.