Basic overview of magnesium ingots

1.1 Properties of magnesium ingots

Magnesium is a silver-white metal with a density of 1.738g/cm3, a melting point of 648.9°C, and a boiling point of 1,090°C. Magnesium is one of the most abundant light metal elements on the earth. Its density is only 2/3 of aluminum, 2/5 of titanium, and 1/4 of steel. Magnesium alloy is 36% lighter than aluminum alloy, 73% lighter than zinc alloy, and 1/4 lighter than steel. Steel is 77% lighter.

Magnesium has high specific strength and specific stiffness, good thermal and electrical conductivity, good electromagnetic shielding, damping, vibration reduction, cutting processability, low processing cost, processing energy only for aluminum alloy, and easy recycling.

1.2 Uses of magnesium ingots

The application users of magnesium ingots should focus on the three major fields of aluminum alloy production, die-casting production, and steelmaking and desulfurization. They are also used in rare earth alloys, metal reduction, and other fields. Magnesium is an important alloy element due to its low density, high strength, and ability to form high-strength alloys with metals such as aluminum, copper, and zinc. In addition, due to the rapid expansion of my country's titanium sponge industry in recent years, the application of magnesium ingots as reducing agents in the titanium sponge industry has also increased.

(1) Aluminum alloy production: Since magnesium has low density, high specific strength, and can form high-strength alloys with aluminum, copper, zinc and other metals, magnesium is an important alloy element. The largest consumer area of magnesium in the world is as an additive element for aluminum alloys.

(2) Die-casting production: Die-casting accounts for 35% of raw magnesium consumption in major regions of the world. In the magnesium die-casting production industry, North America, Latin America, and Western Europe use the most, because the automobile manufacturing industry has promoted the growth of market demand for magnesium. Relevant statistics show that in the past year, the use of magnesium alloy die castings in automobiles has increased by about 15%, and this

This development trend will continue.

(3) Steelmaking desulfurization: Many steel plants in Europe, America, Russia and other regions and countries use magnesium desulfurization. Of the raw magnesium consumption in major regions of the world, 57,300 tons are used for steelmaking and desulfurization, accounting for 15.70% of the total. The annual magnesium consumption for steel desulfurization is 8,000 tons, accounting for 15.62% of total consumption. The desulfurization effect of using magnesium particles is better than that of calcium carbide. Although the price of magnesium is higher than that of calcium carbide, its dosage is only 1/6-1/7 of calcium carbide. The total cost of magnesium desulfurization is more economical than calcium carbide. Generally speaking, the consumption of magnesium particles per ton of steel is 0.4-0.5 kg, and the sulfur content after desulfurization is 0.001-0.005%.

(4) Prevent metal corrosion: Using magnesium sacrificial anodes for cathodic protection is an effective method to prevent metal corrosion. Magnesium sacrificial anodes have the following characteristics: good anti-corrosion performance, no need for external DC power supply, automatic operation after installation, no need for Maintenance, less floor space, low engineering costs, and no interference with the external environment. Magnesium sacrificial anodes are widely used in oil pipelines, natural gas, gas pipelines and storage tanks; ports, ships, submarine pipelines, drilling platforms; airports, parking lots, bridges, power plants, municipal construction, water treatment plants, petrochemical plants, smelting plants , corrosion protection of gas stations and water heaters, heat exchangers, evaporators, boilers and other equipment.

(5) Medical field: In human cells, magnesium is the second most important cation. It can activate a variety of enzymes in the body to inhibit abnormal nerve excitability, maintain the stability of nucleic acid structures, and participate in protein synthesis, muscle contraction and temperature regulation in the body. . Modern research has confirmed that arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, cataracts, women's dysmenorrhea, osteoporosis, and depression are all related to magnesium deficiency. The application of magnesium in the medical field is receiving more and more attention.

1.3 Distribution of magnesium ingots

Magnesium is one of the 10 commonly used non-ferrous metals. It is rich in reserves. Its content in the earth's crust reaches 2.1-2.7%. It ranks sixth among all elements and is the fourth metal after aluminum, iron and calcium. element. Magnesium is widely distributed in nature. The main sources are magnesium chloride and carnallite in seawater and salt lake brine, as well as magnesite and dolomite in the form of carbonates.

my country is one of the countries with the richest magnesium ore resources in the world, accounting for 22.5% of the world's total reserves. In my country, the Dashiqiao area of Liaoning is rich in magnesite resources; the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai is the main distribution area of salt lake resources; and the dolomite mine, which is the main raw material for the production of magnesium ingots by the Pidgeon method, is distributed in Shanxi, Ningxia, and Henan. , Jilin, Qinghai and other places.

At present, China's magnesium ingot production accounts for more than 85% of the world's total production. The main raw magnesium producers outside China include Russia's Solikamsk Magnesium Plant, Avesma Magnesium Plant, Israel's Dead Sea Magnesium, American Magnesium, and Lima, Brazil.