I'm curious as to why not more developers are looking into magnesium as structural metal. Other than price point, because magnesium is over abundant in the world and can be relatively cheap to produce with the Pidgeon process...though that's super environmentally unfriendly/unsound. There has been so much research in america and Europe it's surprising most of those countries aren't opening their own factories and mines, deciding rather to rely on Chinese products. Considering the times we're in, this could come back to bite us in the butt. …if it's the case that new magnesium methods have been discovered, allowing for a more versatile and durable material, how come more developers and construction companies aren't using it? Some examples of use: batteries, tank shell, airplane frames and seats, many automotive applications, biomedical prosthetic attachments
I'm not very sharp on magnesium production but the best numbers I can find show it at triple the energy consumption to produce, compared to Al. For precision parts, Al is more stable. For bulk parts, Al is cheaper. Mg has a niche but I don't see it breaking out. Many castings that have been changed from Al to Mg have ended up being restored to Al based production. I haven't voted but I wouldn't buy magnesium castings from anyone. They have their place where weight is absolutely critical, parts are not overly complex, and cost isn't an issue. Keep in mind, I have not made a career of material science. Are you aware of process or metallurgical evolution that might change popular thinking?
Chip, I wish to make another comment. While I don't see the opportunity that you do, I don't dismiss that it may exist. If you have some knowledge here, please share. Further, we are seeing advances in Al casting that will dramatically cut energy consumption, reduce cost, and reduce production time. Considering how long Al has been a dominant material, it's amazing we are just seeing this progress. I also believe there are significant advances to be made in steel casting, despite it's centuries long dominance of our industrial production. My previous post was not intended to dismiss your idea, simply to suggest I don't share it. I'm definitely interested, though.
Those are some good concerns, and you're right on some of it. Traditionally magnesium has been harder to produce, but there has been so much innovation when it comes to refining the produce. The first thing to note is that there are 3 prime ways to refine magnesium. Pidgeon process, thermal reduction and electrolysis. Pidgeon process is the most common in the world, in fact I believe that out of their Chinese 22 facilities, 22 of them are equipped with Pidgeon method refinement. That's fine and all, until you realize that this method is the most pollutant and environmentally costly. Thanks to strict environmental standards in the west, we don't use that production method. There seems to even be a sustainable magnesium movement happening in the west, where they produce less emissions than any other method. I must make a distinction: magnesium on it's own doesn't have the ductility necessary to be its own wonder product, however, the research shows that magnesium will be a great alloy to work in conjunction with steel and aluminum, making them stronger and lighter. So, it's not about replacing them, rather than making them a hybrid/alloy. There seems to be many benefits to this. You're right, I wouldn't buy plain old magnesium castings for many reasons, but those reasons seem to vanish once you start mixing them with steel and aluminum. And a quick note on cost: the reason the cost may seem so expensive, is because China dominates 85-90% of the magnesium market. They're able to produce lots of product because the Pidgeon process is the easiest and quickest way to produce magnesium ingots. They drove the cost too low for competitors and were able to monopolize the market. The US is the #2 magnesium producer in the world, but it's a long way to first place. It's almost no contest at this point. It would be great for the environment (and America) if they closed half their magnesium refineries.
The problem is that it's too cheap to produce in China. It's not as cheap for us to produce and since it is for them, though I'm not sure how they're able to suppress costs. At any rate, if they do have 22 factories pumping out toxins into the the atmosphere. Making prices too high is just as bad as making prices too low, there ought to be a responsible balance.
