Major and minor elements composition of 5 manganese nodules and 2 sediment samples merged with compilation of previous manganese nodules analyses

Five manganese nodules from a range of deep-sea and fossil environments were selected for this study. Most samples were prepared for bulk analysis by grinding the material finely with a pestle in a porcelain mortar. However for samples Z2140 (ELT36.039-BT) and Timor (Wai_Bua_A) the nodule cores were discarded. Depending upon the chemical elements a varied range of analytical methods were used: X-Ray fluorescence, neutron activation, mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. All samples were dried at 110°C for the determination of H2O+ loss. Structural water H2O- was determined by ignition at 1200°C (LOI) and total CO2 was measured by a Leco gasometric technique.