Extraction and refining
A strong chemical reagent, magnesium forms stable compounds and reacts with oxygen and chlorine in both the liquid and gaseous state. This means that extraction of the metal from raw materials is an energy-intensive process requiring well-tuned technologies. Commercial production follows two completely different methods: electrolysis of magnesium chloride or thermal reduction of magnesium oxide. Where power costs are low, electrolysis is the cheaper method—and, indeed, it accounts for approximately 75 percent of world magnesium production. ... (79 of 2,741 words)