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Magnesium is the lightest material that is best suited for aerospace structure and even to create ultralight cars, because primarily contributes to significant fuel economy.
Imagine a magnesium density of just 1.73 grams per cubic centimeter, while titanium has this indicator – 2.7, and aluminum and even more – 4.5. Lighter metals just doesn’t exist. For example, for aviation and especially for creating spacecraft is a very huge difference capable save not only fuel, but also other resources. However magnesium alloys are practically not used in the above production industries of Russia, since this metal has such a disadvantage, as low corrosion resistance, and we have to deal effectively with it could not yet.
The main disadvantage is the high chemical activity such alloys in their liquid state, and therefore their melting requires special expensive protective agents – flux, which protects magnesium from ignition and oxidation. But per ton magnesium alloy you need to spend about 300 kilograms of this flux, which makes such alloys expensive and non-competitive with others.
The second problem is that magnesium alloys should be clean, without the smallest impurities, especially chlorides. Only in this case they become corrosion resistant and can be used in aircraft and space industry. But to achieve this is very hard.
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And now a group of scientists of NUST “MISiS” under the guidance of a professor Vadima Tarasova found a way out of this situation. They came up with a new the composition of the flux, introducing into it 30 percent of calcium chloride based carnallite – a mineral mining in the Urals. New technology allows you to get almost pure magnesium alloys and at the same time reduces their production costs by at least 30 percent. Now magnesium, which is called “salt” here, can be successfully use in the aerospace industry.
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New technology is being tested at the best. domestic enterprises. Industrialists have already given their positive feedback on the high quality of such ultralight magnesium alloys that should significantly increase competitiveness Russian technology in the foreign market. On the other hand, it will increase volumes of import substitution in the automotive, but most importantly – aerospace industry of the national economy of Russia.
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