In the article “Magnesium in the 21st Century,” Robert E. Brown of the Magnesium Assistance Group Inc., Prattville, Ala., describes magnesium alloys as having high strength-to-weight ratios and relatively good electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as high damping capacity.
“Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and the third most plentiful element dissolved in seawater,” Brown said. “Because magnesium is found in seawater, it is available in almost limitless quantities: A cubic mile of seawater contains six million tons of magnesium metal.”
The largest amounts of magnesium will continue to be for aluminum alloying, but Brown expects that it will continue to be needed for desulfurization of steel “if the price is competitive.” Interest in magnesium is growing in technologies such as thixomolding, extrusions, sheet, and forgings. “Magnesium can also provide huge provide huge structural and economic advantages in automotive and aerospace applications, based on life cycle analysis,’ Brown said.
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