Magnesium

Magnesium Table: basic information about and classifications of magnesium. Name: Magnesium Symbol: Mg Atomic number: 12 Atomic weight: 24.3050 (6) Standard state: solid at 298 K CAS Registry ID: 7439-95-4 Group in periodic table: 2 Group name: Alkaline earth metal Period in periodic table: 3 Block in periodic table: s-block Colour: silvery white Classification: Metallic Item 1. Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal. [Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust.] Item 2 Magnesite (MgCO3) is the ore for magnesium production. Magnesium has it’s geological origins in several sources. These include, the earth’s crust, meteorites, oceans, streams and even the sun. There are several steps taken to make magnesium into a usable substance. For example magnesium from sea water to magnesium chloride like this: CaO + H2O → Ca2+ + 2OH- Mg2+ + 2OH- → Mg(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 + 2HCl → MgCl2 + 2H2O [Picture] Item 3 Magnesite (MgCO3) is an ore for magnesium production and the source of a range of industrial minerals. For example, natural magnesite almost always contains some calcium carbonate as the mineral calcite and iron carbonate as the mineral siderite. Item 4 Though magnesium is produced in many countries, China is the leading manufacturer. Item 4, 5, 6 In Australia there is Kunwarara mine, in Queensland. Here, there is a large deposit of magnesite, it is an area of about 63 square km which is entirely overlain by black clay up to 12 metres thick. Magnesium is often found in water bodies. At Kunwarara, it is no different. The deposit is thought to have formed by the deposition in lakes of magnesium bicarbonate Kunwarara mine is an open pit mine. It even has several environmental advantages. Normally, there is a lot of waste material when mining magnesite ore. At Kunwara there is not as much environmental waste because the drilling is only 4 metres thick. Item 7 Mining and the environment Item 8 Item 9 Mining Process: http://www.webelements.com/magnesium/