Magnesium applications in the short term

The amount of magnesium produced each year is about 400,000 metric tons. The amount of aluminum produced each year is about 22,000,000 metric tons. Both metals were isolated and identified by Sir Humphrey Davy within a year of each other. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Based on structural metal occurrence in the Earth's crust, magnesium is the third most abundant after aluminum and iron. Its very light weight makes it especially attractive to aerospace and to automobile industries. However, magnesium has struggled for acceptance for many years, mainly due to a high price when compared to aluminum. That wide variation of price is being overcome and magnesium is now ready to be more widely used to benefit mankind and the environment.Magnesium's density is 1.74 compared to aluminum at 2.7. There are other basic inherent advantages with the use of magnesium, not the least of which is greater rigidity and a much higher damping capacity.Silicon is the most abundant element, but it is not a structural material. Based on the magnesium in brine deposits, salt lakes and the oceans, magnesium is by far the most abundant of all metals.
Magnesium development needs some long-range vision, technical intelligence, and lots of work and money. Unfortunately, many of the producers are fighting for survival and it is difficult to justify the investment of large amounts of money in research and development. But without the vision and investment, plus a strong marketing effort, magnesium applications will continue to be slow in developing. The great immediate future for magnesium remains in the world autos. There is a need for light weight and there are many millions of cars produced each year. However, the auto industry has changed and it has less designers and materials people on companies' staff than was the case. To get more magnesium usage in automobiles, the magnesium industry must take a much more pro-active approach to the auto companies. This includes the direct cost and the overall usage cost. For example, a lightweight part on a car may cost more than aluminum, but the lighter weight may have many other advantages that would add value to the use of the magnesium part.

2. The application must be reducible to efficient manufacturing processes. This includes casting or fabrication rates, scrap, and finishing and assembly operations.
While magnesium does not burn unless it melts, finely divided powder and shaving created in fabrication operations can catch fire. In any case, it is an area that must be constantly addressed. As long as science teachers in high school classes continue to burn pieces of magnesium ribbon, the image of the bright white fire will far surpass any knowledge of the fire resistance of solid magnesium.