Where Is Magnesium Plate (Magnesium Printing Plate) Used?
Why is magnesium not used in its pure form, but instead utilized through its alloys? Let us briefly explain magnesium alloys.
Magnesium in its pure form is generally not suitable for use because, like some other metals, it has low mechanical strength. For this reason, it must be alloyed with other elements to obtain improved properties.
One of its most important characteristics is that magnesium alloys are extremely lightweight. The specific tensile strength of some magnesium alloys can be higher than that of steel and aluminum. Due to this property, magnesium alloys are widely used in the aerospace industry.
The two most important alloying elements in magnesium alloys are aluminum and zinc.
- Zinc increases toughness.
- Aluminum increases strength.
When manganese is added to the alloy, corrosion resistance improves. Magnesium alloys are commercially available in powder, sheet, and strip form.
Reasons for Preferring Magnesium Plates
- Because magnesium is lightweight, it is especially preferred in the aerospace industry.
- If a hard and durable alloy is required, it can be mixed with harder metals to obtain the desired properties.
- Its bright and white metallic appearance provides visual appeal when used on exterior surfaces.
- Although its absolute strength is relatively low, its strength-to-density ratio is high, making it advantageous.
The most commonly used magnesium alloy is the magnesium-aluminum alloy.
In magnesium-aluminum alloys:
- Magnesium increases the hardness of aluminum.
- If zinc is added, hardness increases further.
- When zinc content is around 0.75%, the alloy becomes suitable for casting.
- If zinc content increases beyond this level, the casting properties may deteriorate.
- Adding approximately 0.25% manganese improves corrosion resistance.
Which Metals Are Alloyed with Magnesium?
Magnesium can be alloyed with:
- Aluminum
- Zinc
- Calcium
- Zirconium
- Cadmium
- Silver
- Beryllium
- Lithium
- Silicon
- Thorium
- Tin
Fields Where Magnesium Alloys Are Used
- After 1920, they began to be used in aircraft manufacturing.
- Widely used in electronics, including radar antennas, tape reels, antennas, radio equipment, memory disks, and similar devices.
- Used in the transportation sector, such as bus and truck bodies.
- Although not widely used in railway tracks, they are used in dining and passenger train wagons.
- Due to their high electropositive potential, they are used as anodes.
- Preferred in industrial sectors such as printing, CNC machining, and specialized processing components.
- Used in reverse mold making and prototype mold production.
