AREAS OF APPLICATION OF MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is the lightest of the structural metals; a quarter the weight of steel and a third lighter than aluminium. This element was first isolated in 1808 by the English scientist Davy, but it was not until 1852 that Bunsen demonstrated that magnesium metal could be isolated by electrolysis of fused anhydrous magnesium chloride, magnesium being released at the cathode and chlorine at the anode of the cell.  


Today, magnesium is used in a diverse range of markets and applications, each one exploiting the unique physical and mechanical properties of the element and its alloys. World production of magnesium totals around 400,000 tonnes per annum and the figure is increasing annually as the lightweight properties of Magnesium Alloys are used increasingly in the automotive industry as a means of reducing weight, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.




To service this growing demand, there is potentially no limit to magnesium output since magnesium is the eighth most common element in the world and the sixth most abundant metal, comprising about 2.5% of the earth's surface. Seawater contains 0.14% magnesium and the element is abundant in minerals Carnallite (MgCl.KCl.6H2O), Dolomite (MgCO3.CaCO3), and Magnesite (MgCO3). Demand for magnesium is also being met by an expanding magnesium recycling industry. Alloys used for structural applications can be recycled back into products displaying the same chemical, physical and mechanical characteristics as primary material. This attribute is being actively encouraged within the industry, given its positive impact upon the environment. Recycling requires only 5% of the energy required to produce the primary product.


Magnesium , due to its specific chemical and electro-chemical properties, can be used in many quality conscious fileds of engineering such as space, laboratories and automobile industries. Now-a-days its application includes many areas such as :

+ In Aerospace Engineering

+ In Alluminium Alloying

+ In Chemical Reduction

+ In Power Generation

+ In Steel Desulphurisation

+ In Cathodic Production