The role of the magnesium industry in protecting the environment

This paper aims at reviewing and evaluating the prospects of magnesium use and applications in the transportation industry that can significantly contribute to the environmental conservation. This relates to the basic characteristics of magnesium being 35% lighter than aluminum, which is used as structural material for vehicles and aerospace applications. The lightness of structural magnesium components results in reducing the weight of transportation means and hence reducing the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. In particular, this paper will introduce the current and future applications of magnesium in the transportation industry with special attention to the needs of alloy developments and advancement in production technologies. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.