Magnesium: current and alternative production routes

Magnesium is a light metal that used in structural applications, and also used as additive in chemical and metallurgical industries. The current dominant route for producing magnesium is via the Pidgeon process, a batch pyrometallurgical route that is energy-intensive and has high greenhouse gas emissions compared to other metal production routes. China currently dominates the world production because of the relatively low operating costs in that country. Australia does not currently produce magnesium, but the abundance of raw materials such as magnesite and dolomite, combined with the expected growth in magnesium demand associated with automobile lightweighting, have fuelled research and development in this area. This paper analyses the progress of magnesium production in the world, identifies problems and technical challenges associated with current and alternative technologies, and examines the prospects of establishing a magnesium industry in Australia.

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