Magnesium Mg90

  Magnesium is widely distributed in nature and makes about 2% of the 
  earth's crust. Resources for the production of magnesium are 
  literally endless. Virtually every country has large reserves of dolomite.

  Magnesium is used in the production of nodular cast iron. This iron is
  obtained by adding to the melt a small but precisely known amount of
  magnesium, while the graphite in cast iron does not
  form lamellar flakes and spherical inclusions, thus casting acquires 
  increased strength and ductility. Cast iron with nodular graphite is
  used for the manufacture of automobile parts and agricultural
  machinery, pipes and pipe fittings.

All types of industrial use of magnesium can be divided into structural and non-structural. Structural use is manufacturing of automotive parts, aircraft and other industrial products.About 20% of industrial magnesium is used for such purposes.

In the non-structural uses magnesium is alloyed, for example, with aluminum or used as a reagent for the desulfurization of pig iron and steel. About 80% of industrial supplies magnesium is used for these purposes.

Structural applications. Magnesium is suitable for casting and conventional metal-working techniques. Like most other metals it needs to be alloyed to increase its strength and hardness. As alloying elements for magnesium aluminum, zinc, manganese, silicon, zirconium and rare earth metals are most commonly used.

Magnesium has a very good injection molding properties. In the automotive industry the following are cast from magnesium:  covers of valve mechanisms, clutch, wheels, axle housings, carburetors, seat frames, instrument panels and the flanges of air filters. Non-automotive applications cover a wide range of products, from computer components to handles of sporting bows.

Magnesium is produced with the use of two basic ways: by electrolysis of molten magnesium chloride and thermal reduction of magnesium oxide.

The electrolytic method. There are four electrolytic processes that differ by ways of obtaining the source magnesium chloride but in all cases, the raw material is carnallite containing six water molecules. The first four molecules are removed by heating in air but further heating produces undesirable oxides and oxychlorides. The complete dehydration is achieved by different methods.