Manganese

Manganese is a gray-white metal, similar in appearance to iron; it is hard but very fragile, it can only be melted with difficulty and it oxidizes very easily. Manganese is present in abundance in the Earth's crust, is an essential element for the production of iron and steel by virtue of its desulfurizing, deoxygenating and binding properties. The ionized manganese is used industrially as a pigment of various colors, which depend on the oxidation state of the ions. Manganese is an oligonutrient for all life forms, but in its pure form it is toxic. Manganese acetate is used in the catalytic process in combination with other elements.