Magnesium Alloys for the Industry: The Production and Treatment of the Lightest Known Metallic Constructional Materials

THE application of magnesium‐rich alloys to the numerous purposes of the aero‐plane industry continuously increases as a result of the important improvements effected in the production of pure magnesium and in the manufacture and treatment of magnesium‐rich alloys. Their low specific weight of 1·8 makes these magnesium alloys the lightest metallic constructional materials in existence and their various working treatments, including casting, pressing, rolling and machining (permitting exceptionally high cutting speeds), are considerably cheaper than those of the heavy metals. Numerous English firms (such as the Birmingham Aluminium Casting Co., Ltd., Smethwick, Birmingham; Magnesium Castings and Products, Ltd., Buckingham; Sterling Metals, Ltd., Coventry; Smith's Stamping Works, (Coventry) Ltd., etc.) manufacture machined parts of many descriptions for the aeronautical industry.