Magnesium, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure,ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included. 

Magnesium the eighth most abundant element in the earth‘s crust. It is one third lighter than aluminum, and because of this is used in alloys that are essential for aerospace, satellite and missile construction. The metal improves the mechanical, fabrication, and welding characteristics of aluminum when used as an alloying agent. Uses also include flares and pyrotechnics due to its pyrophoric properties. Magnesium compounds, primarily magnesium oxide, are used mainly as refractory material in furnace linings for producing iron and steel, nonferrous metals, glass, and cement. High purity magnesium is found in dietary supplements. Magnesium oxide and its other compounds are used in numerous other agricultural, chemical, and construction applications. Dead-burned magnesite is used in refractory materials.

 Magnesium facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits. 

Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Magnesium is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries. 

Magnesium is a Block S, Group 2, Period 3 element. The number of electrons in each of Magnesium‘s shells is 2, 8, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Ne] 3s2. In its elemental form magnesium‘s CAS number is 7439-95-4. The magnesium atom has a radius of 159.9.pm and it‘s Van der Waals radius is 173.pm. Magnesium the eighth most abundant element in the earth‘s crust. It is one third lighter than aluminum, and because of this is used in alloys that are essential for aerospace, satellite and missile construction. The metal improves the mechanical, fabrication, and welding characteristics of aluminum when used as an alloying agent. Uses also include flares and pyrotechnics due to its pyrophoric properties. Magnesium compounds, primarily magnesium oxide, are used mainly as refractory material in furnace linings for producing iron and steel, nonferrous metals, glass, and cement. High purity magnesium is found in dietary supplements. 

All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive)isotopes. Organo-Metallic Magnesium compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis. 

Magnesium is commercially produced from brucite, carnallite, dolomite, magnesite, olivine and talc. Magnesium was first discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1808. The name Magnesium originates from a Greek district in Thessaly called Magnesia.

Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of magnesium and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.

Isotope	Atomic Mass	% Abundance on Earth
Mg-24	23.9850419	78.99
Mg-25	24.9858370	10.00
Mg-26	25.9825930	11.01

The following table shows the abundance of Magnesium present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:

	Typical Human Body	Universe
by Weight	270000 ppb	600000 ppb
by Atom	70000 ppb	30000 ppb

Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for magnesium metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Magnesium compounds are an important part of chlorophylls and are required in some enzymes. 

Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for magnesium (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it‘s ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:

1st Ionization Energy	737.76 kJ mol-1
2nd Ionization Energy	1450.69 kJ mol-1
3rd Ionization Energy	7732.75 kJ mol-1

Conductivity. As to magnesium‘s electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ?C is 4.45 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.31. The thermal conductivity of magnesium is 156 W m-1K-1. 

Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for magnesium are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.

Heat of Fusion	9.04 kJ mol-1
Heat of Vaporization	127.6 kJ mol-1
Heat of Atomization	146.499 kJ mol-1