Magnesium is the world’s third-most-used structural metal. Since the early 1800s, we’ve been exploring the uses of this lightweight yet strong metal, and it’s now an integral part of the modern world.
But we’ve come a long way even in the past 10 years in terms of magnesium use, let alone the past 200. Technology is now one of the thirstiest industries for magnesium, having many different uses for the metal. Let’s take a look at how magnesium is being used in various technologies today, and why Magnium is Australia’s first team to use renewable energy to produce zero-carbon magnesium metal ingots of over 99.8% purity.
Electronics
Along with being one of the world’s most used metals, magnesium also has the best strength-to-weight ratio. Lightweight yet incredibly strong, it’s the ideal material for electronics. Magnesium has better thermal conductivity properties than plastic, which also makes it a better choice in electronic appliances to dissipate heat generated by electronic circuits. Magnesium alloys are used in laptops, TVs, LCDs and PC casings. It’s estimated that magnesium laptop parts are also 20 times stronger than typical thermoplastic.
Automotive technology
For a long time now, we’ve been using magnesium in car wheel alloys and engine parts, thanks to their lightness and strength. We’ve also extended our use of magnesium to car seats, gearbox housings and crankcases. Due to being so lightweight, every kilogram of magnesium used in motor vehicles is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 kilograms over the motor vehicle's life.
Sporting technology
With many advancements in sports, the aim is to make sporting objects lighter, in order for athletes to perform better. Magnesium is frequently used in sporting technology to enhance the performance of athletes. It can be used in bicycle frames, for example, to create a strong yet super-lightweight bicycle, allowing cyclists to perform optimally.
Machinery
Magnesium alloys show some huge benefits in Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machining – a manufacturing process which uses pre-programmed computer movements to create items. Magnesium alloys require significantly less power than other metals – about 55% less than aluminium alloys, for example. This makes it highly energy efficient. Magnesium also causes less wear and tear to cutting tools, prolonging their lifespan.
Magnium Australia
Magnium Australia understand the incredible role that magnesium has in Australia’s future. That’s why they’re developing the world’s first decarbonised magnesium metal plant. Magnium’s breakthrough technology combines Australian feedstock with renewable energy to produce zero-carbon magnesium metal ingots of over 99.8% purity.
With the traditional process of magnesium production contributing heavily to climate change through a carbon-intensive process, Magnium seeks to change this. Their first-of-its-kind technology uses carbothermic reduction to produce magnesium in a way that’s efficient and low-emission on a scale that’s never been seen before. Magnium are committed to solving the problem of climate change by decarbonising mineral processing.
