Current Status of Magnesium Smelting and Recycling Technology

Magnesium is the third most abundant structural metal after aluminum and iron. Magnesium is the lightest metal in the common metals. It has a density 33 % less than aluminum and 77% lower than steel. However, the primary magnesium production process is highly energy intensive. The recycling of magnesium scrap reduces the energy consumption and environmental burden, comparing to the primary metal production. However, the amount of recovered metal from scrap is limited because of the difficulties to remove the impurities in the scrap. This work provides an overview of the magnesium production and recycling process.