Average composition of manganese nodules from various size classes from Station U205 in the Tasman Sea

Four hundred and twenty kilograms of manganese nodules were recovered at Station U205 in the Tasman Sea. They were sorted by size class. Representative subsets for each size class were chemically analysed and their avearge composition is presented in the published table. Samples were alaysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. For this purpose, samples were ground to 80 mesh, dried at 105°C for at least 24 hours and fused with "Spectromelt A 12" (Merck 11802, containing 66% lithium tetraborate and 34% lithium metaborate). To prepare glass beads, 1 g of Mn nodule materail was mixed with 1 g of flux and heated in a RF-furnace for about 5 minutes.