Distribution of impurities in magnesium production via silicothermic reduction

The desire for light weight materials, particularly in the automotive field, is fuelling greater magnesium production. The Pidgeon process is currently the most widely used process for the production of magnesium. This batch process involves reduction of dolomite by ferro-silicon, carried out at temperature between 1,100-1,200 °C under vacuum in a retort, producing magnesium vapour which is then cooled and collected as a condensate. The major …