Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium is a shiny gray metal with symbol Mg, covering the place of ninth most abundant element in the universe and making almost 15% of the Earth’s mass. This metal is mainly produced due to stars’ chemical reactions and burns with a characteristic brilliant-white light. The name of Magnesium originates from the Greek district called Magnesia. Magnesium has a better strength-weight ratio compared to Aluminium, and defined “the lightest useful metal”, it is the third-most-commonly-used structural metal after Iron and Aluminium.

PRODUCTION & USE

Magnesium global reserves are about 50 times smaller than Aluminium ones, and approximately 80% of Magnesium is produced in China (around 700.000 tonnes a year), followed by USA which currently holds a 7% share, after a history as a dominant supplier that lasted until the late nineties. This metal is mainly employed as an alloying
element in aluminium-magnesium alloys, and was being applied to automotive and aerospace products already during World War II. Other applications include photography flashes, fireworks and electronic devices’ shells.