부산대학교 도서관

Developments in the magnesium industry during the past decade are reviewed. Usage for aerospace applications has declined and consumption for nuclear power is static. Specialized alloy development for these markets has continued but at a slower pace than that of post-war years. Consumption for general engineering structural applications has increased slowly, mainly as pressure die castings. Developments include fluxless melting, hot-chamber casting, and alloy development for improved creep resistance, castability, and electroplating characteristics. The most notable increases in consumption have been for alloying into aluminium and for uses in metallurgical treatment such as production of nodular iron. The restricted use as an engineering material is ascribed to unfavourable economics rather than technical limitations. The most significant developments are therefore in extraction technology where new processes should reduce extraction costs and where the overall trend is towards larger units giving an economic advantage of scale.