It is used in producing nodular graphite cast iron, and as an additive to conventional propellants. Magnesium is used in products for benefit of being lightweight, such as Laptops, Luggage, Car seats, Cameras, and Power tools, It is also added in molten iron & steel to remove sulfur.
It is used as alloying agent with aluminium to improve mechanical, fabrication and welding characteristics, these alloys are useful in car, missile, and aeroplane construction. Magnesium is 1/3rd less dense than aluminium. To extract the Mg, firstly, calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ) is added to seawater to form magnesium hydroxide precipitate:īrucite (Magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH) 2 ) is insoluble in water, can be filtered out and reacted with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produced concentrated magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ):įinaly, magnesium produces by electrolysis of magnesium chloride (MgCl 2).įirst Isolation: Humphry Davy (1808) Magnesium Uses Mg (II) is precipitated by hydroxide ions (OH-), and Ammonia (NH 3) will also precipitate Mg (II) as hydroxide, but the precipitation is incomplete: The metal dissolves readily in acids, and forming Mg (II) ions & Hydrogen: Metal Reacts with Cl 2, and forming magnesium chloride:
Mg does not react with liquid water at room temperature, but It reacts steam, and forming magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH) 2), with excess steam & hydrogen gas: The metal reacts with oxygen at room temperature, and forming a passivating layer of MgO, and when Mg ignited, then it reacts with both oxygen & nitrogen forming a mixture of magnesium oxide & Magnesium nitride (Mg 3 N 2 ): Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP) Reactivity of Magnesium Ionization energies: 1st: 737.6 kJ.mol 2nd: 1450.6 kJ/mol 3rd: 7732.6 kJ/molĬrystal structure: Hexagonal close packed The ionization potential of an atom: 7.61 Molar magnetic susceptibility: 0.168×10 -9 m 3/molĭensity: 1.737 g/cm 3 (In solid) 1.585 g/cm 3 (In Liquid at M.P) Mass magnetic susceptibility: 6.9×10 -9 m 3/kg Magnetic susceptibility (x mol): +13.1×10 -6 cm 3/mol Magnesium Electron Configuration Thermal Properties of Magnesiumĭebye temperature: 318 K (44.85 oC, 112.73 oF)