What’s Driving Demand for Magnesium in the Automotive Industry?
The commercial production of magnesium first began in the late 1800s and early 1900s, steadily increasing with the onset of the First World War. By World War II, magnesium production had increased from 32,000 tons in 1939 to 228,000 tons by 1943. Following the war, magnesium production and consumption began to grow, particularly in the automotive industry. In 1965, for example, Volkswagen alone consumed 35,000 tons of magnesium, and the demand among car producers has grown ever since.
Magnesium has several intrinsic properties that make it a great choice in the automotive industry. First, it is the lightest of all structural metals––it is 33% lighter than aluminum and 75% lighter than steel. Extruded magnesium, in particular, is known for its high specific strength, stiffness, and durability. Magnesium extrusions also have good fatigue properties along with excellent damping capacity and machinability. As a result, magnesium extruded shapes are a desirable choice within the automotive industry.
The guide below explains why magnesium continues to drive growing demand in the automotive industry.
Automotive Advantages Driving Demand for Magnesium
There are several key factors responsible for driving up demand for magnesium within the automotive industry. First, the lightness of the material has a direct impact on the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, since a 10% reduction in the weight of a vehicle equals a 7% improvement in fuel economy.
The use of magnesium in vehicles also has an important environmental impact, reducing the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases emitting from gasoline engines. These benefits have an impact on individual car owners and on a national level, lowering fuel consumption levels and creating greater energy independence.
Similarly, the use of magnesium enables cars to meet more stringent Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Even electric vehicles reap the rewards of improved efficiency with magnesium––a 10% reduction in weight equals approximately a 13.7% increase in electric range1. Alternatively, for any given range, the use of magnesium reduces the weight of the vehicle, the amount of battery needed (further reducing weight), and overall cost.
Magnesium Growth in the Automotive Industry Today
Today there is continuous growth primarily due to the demand needed for magnesium die casting and aluminum alloying for the automotive industry. In fact, these two areas represent almost three-fourths of the total growth of the magnesium industry––Approximately 35-37% each.
Magnesium die casting has maintained its popularity in large part because of the metal’s excellent fluidity, low heat content, less susceptibility to hydrogen porosity and low affinity for iron. This results in the ability to produce thin wall net shaped large castings combining multiple parts into one with excellent dimensional stability. Furthermore, this also results in reduced casting cycle time and significantly increased die wear life vs aluminum die castings.
Magnesium also plays an important role in the formulation of high strength aluminum alloys used for the automotive industry. In 5000 series aluminum alloys, addition of magnesium provides increased strength through solid solution strengthening. While in 6000 series aluminum alloys, the addition of magnesium in combination with silicon also provides for good heat treatability through the formation of magnesium-silicide (Mg2Si). These two series of aluminum alloys are most used for plate/sheet and extruded shape applications for the automotive industry respectively.
Finally, wrought magnesium alloys (extrusions, forgings and rolled plates) have been gaining more prominence because they provide the highest mechanical properties, good dimensional tolerance and surface finish. Extruded magnesium shapes, in particular, can be produced into intricate shapes while allowing for fast prototyping and low production and tooling cost. The extrusion process refines the grain structure of magnesium alloys and provides for low porosity and much higher ductility than die cast alloys. The most commonly extruded magnesium alloy is AZ31B because it has good formability, extrusion speed and relatively low cost that makes it competitive with extruded aluminum alloys. The most commonly extruded magnesium alloy with the highest mechanical property is ZK60 due to zirconium grain refining and its ability to gain significant strength from the extrusion process and good heat treatability but with the trade-off of higher cost. All these alloys provide for excellent machinability and a variety of joining and coating options for use within the vehicle.
The current shift towards electric vehicle adoption is also demanding the development of new magnesium alloys for the extrusion process to meet all the stringent requirements in the automotive industry for use within structural applications. Mag Specialties is expending a significant effort in the development of future magnesium alloys for the automotive industry. The combination of advantages of magnesium and the economical production cost with the extrusion process should drive further growth of magnesium within the automotive industry for the foreseeable future.
Contact the Experts in Magnesium Alloys
At Mag Specialties, we have extruded over 9,000 shapes in over 20 different magnesium alloys. With 75 years of experience, we continue to provide excellent customer service for our customers across industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, construction, and energy. Our solutions-driven approach means that our team will provide customer support throughout the entire life cycle of your project––from alloy selection to prototyping, production and recycling. Whether it’s weight reduction, joining or coating, our team will assist with all your needs.
To learn more about our magnesium capabilities and our work within the automotive industry, contact us today.
