Major Magnesium Metal Producers

TaUe 4.26. Major magnesium metal producers Magnesium metal producer Address 

FOB 1195 Beer Sheva 84111, Israel Telephone 972-8-997-8200 Fax 972-8-997-8300 URL http //www.dsmag.co.il/ 

Avedesian, M. Baker, H. (eds.) (1998) ASM Specialty Handbook Magnesium and Magnesium Alloys. ASM, Materials Park, OH. 

) (2001) Magnesium und seine Legierungen. Springer, Berlin Heiddberg New York. 

Friedrich, H.E. Mordike, B.L. (eds.) (2006) Magnesium Technology. Metallurgy, Design Data, Applications. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York. 

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According to the Roskill staff in 2003, the world consumption of magnesium metal was around 660,000 tonnes. Added to this figure is some 230,000 tonnes per year of secondary metal capacity. Therefore, today the world capacity is already sufficient, at around 900,000 tonnes per year, to meet projected demand in 2010. Major magnesium metal producers are listed in Table 4.22, which shows that with more than 100 plants operating the thermal process, Chinese companies are now by far the dominant producers. 

The production of pure alkali metals is difficult due to their extreme reactivity with commonly used substances, such as water. The alkali metals are so reactive that they cannot be displaced by other elements, and molten salt electrolysis is therefore an option for producing many of these metals. Sodium and lithium are the most important alkali metals produced by electrolysis, while magnesium and calcium are the most important alkaline earth metals produced by electrolysis. For calcium and magnesium, thermal processes are currently more important than electrowinning. Magnesium, being the only of these metals that can be used for structural purposes, is a major industrial product. Therefore, a separate chapter is devoted to the electrolysis process for magnesium. 

Lime (CaO), gypsum (CaS04), limestone (CaC03), and calcite (another form of CaC03) were all known to, and used by, ancient people. However, the chemical compositions of these substances were not known until the 19th century. By 1808, English chemist Sir Humphrey Davy had already produced by electrolysis pure samples of sodium and potassium. It was only natural that in that year he would apply the same electrolytic technique to the isolation and identification of strontium, barium, calcium, and magnesium—the major alkaline earth metals. 

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