View the presentation handouts below:

• Advancing Medicine through Additive Manufacturing of Magnesium Alloys - presented by Max Muther, Meotec GmbH
• Biodegradable Mg Implants Development from an Engineers Perspective - presented by Norbert Hort, Helmholtz-Zentrum Heron and Leuphana University Luneburg

View the presentation handouts below:
• Quarterly Review of China's Magnesium Market Q3

• Quarterly Review of China's Magnesium Market Q2
• Q&A Written Responses

• View the presentation handouts below:
  • Sorting Scap Metal by Alloy Composition – LIBS Sorting Technology for the Recycling Sector – Frank Van de Winkel, TOMRA Sorting GmbH
  • Sustainable Magnesium Recycling – Armin Buschhausen, Magontec GmbH
  • AMACOR & The North American Secondary MG Industry – Yossi Ostrov, AMACOR 
  • Mg Recycling at Non Ferrum with a low CO2 Footprint – Peter Schaffler, NON-FERRUM

• View the presentation handouts below:
  • Status up-date of IMA Sustainability & Labelling – Dr.-Ing Elmar Beeh, DLR Germany
  • Comparison and development of processes for primary magnesium production – Ilhan Goknel, Mining Engineer MSc
  • New development of primary magnesium industry in China and prospect of future supply – Dong Chunming; Sunlight Metal Consulting (Beijing) Co.,Ltd.
  • Environmental Insights from DSM: Assessing Carbon Footprint of Electrolytic Production and Future Reduction Strategies – Vladimir Kotlovsky; DSM
  • NEOM’s New Development of Primary Green Magnesium Metal Production: Addressing Sustainability – Mohamed Abdelaziz, Magnesium Development

Alan Clark of the CM group presents to the IMA 2023 Conference in Calgary, Canada.

Following a highly volatile 2022, global base metals markets struggled in 2021, as high inflation rates and a general downturn in demand weighed on prices. The spike in primary magnesium prices in 2021 resulted in a surge in activity amongst new non-China Mg projects during 2022, which were also encouraged by regional critical minerals policies. But did anything fundamentally change in 2022? Is the industry now investing new ROW primary Mg projects, or breathing a collective sigh of relief and avoiding the investments necessary to make a meaningful shift in the supply base? This paper presents an overview of the 2022 global primary Mg supply demand balance and outlines the trends in global primary magnesium production. The paper also presents some insights into the impact of China's carbon policy on primary magnesium production, including the semi-coking industry, upon which much of China's Mg industry relies for heat energy.

Panel discussion at 2023 IMA conference in Calgary, Canada.

Panelists:
Alan Clark, The CM Group
Daniel Chu, Shaanxi Yulin Magnesium Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.
Christoph Klein-Schmidt, Magontec
Saif Mohamed, NEOM

This IMA webinar will provide you an overview of different strategies to minimize and off-set a company’s carbon balance sheet. Learn about examples of IMA member’s sustainability agendas and their contribution to a common net zero approach. Focus point: Mg part producers!

Agenda:

• Welcome/Introduction by Ken White, IMA and Martin Tauber, IMA and Elmar Beeh, DLR
• Carbon Off-Set Strategies—presented by Harry Critchfield-Jain, Kataman UK Ltd.
  
• GF Casting Solutions Sustainability Framework and Latest Achievements—presented by Oliver Teich/GF Casting Solutions
• Climate strategy: Corporate carbon footprint, CO2 reduction potentials & Roadmap—presented by Arne Amann, 595 Solutions
• Sustainability at STIHL – Getting into Action—presented by Friedemann Stock, Stihl Magnesium
• Discussion/Summary by Martin Tauber, IMA

Download Extra Materials from Stihl (German): https://nachhaltigkeitsbericht.stihl.de/2021/assets/downloads/STIHL_Nachhaltigkeitsbericht_2021_DE_web.pdf

Moulded and casted parts for transport applications represent the largest share of magnesium usages both as Mg alloys and as alloying element in Al alloys. There are new challenges for the moulding and casting industry with the new area of electrified vehicles in lower energy consumption, less CO2 and more flexible production. Also, larger parts are part of this trend. The webinar will provide insights into these new requirements for die-casting but also for alternative processes, such as Thixo-moulding.

So why isn’t magnesium more widely used by the transport sector in India? Hoping to answer this question and increase the material’s industrial reach, Birmingham City University (BCU), UK, and the International Magnesium Association (IMA) are hosting a seminar to inspire and educate about the wonder of magnesium. This seminar is part of BCU’s series of events which are celebrating the 75 year anniversary of India’s independence.

China’s domestic primary magnesium industry has entered a period of structural change, driven by the strict implementation of government policies aimed at achieving the country’s ‘Dual Carbon Policy’ targets of peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. As a major emitter of carbon dioxide (Scope 1 plus Scope 2), China’s magnesium industry will not escape scrutiny.

China’s energy policy rollout is forecast to have significant short, medium and long-term implications for the magnesium industry, with some early signs of change already apparent. Forced outages, higher electricity tariffs and higher raw materials costs have already hit the industry hard over the past year, mostly as a direct result of energy policy implementation. World markets have responded with increasing levels of supply uncertainty and significantly higher levels of price volatility.

This seminar will focus on the impact of China’s energy policy rollout on its magnesium industry and the wider implications for world magnesium markets.

Magnesium within the body aids in metabolic reactions, has good biocompatibility, and is nontoxic. Magnesium implants can be biodegradable in body fluids through corrosion which eliminates the need for a second surgery to remove implants. Application of protective coatings can prevent corrosion issues for applications in which a more permanent solution is needed. This webinar aims to provide a focus on end-products, their advantages and also the necessary approvals and certifications necessary to be used in the human body.

Like all other metals, magnesium is under pressure to reduce its CO2 footprint, which is mainly caused by the high energy consumption during production. Mostly older data are used, which represent an overheard CO2 value. That is why the IMA has commissioned an update of its Magnesium LCA study to show that current production, but above all alternative and under construction projects, can represent a significant advantage, especially in the use phase in vehicles. An instrument panel support for the automotive sector and selected parts in aircraft construction are shown as concrete examples.

Video Credit: DGM, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde e.V.

The possibilities of 3D printing are very promising in the magnesium industry. A printing revolution, on a par with series production, cost-efficient, and fast. When it comes to products manufactured by a 3D printer, it is often only one specific component. In recent news there have been large aerospace parts in printed in Ti, and selected parts in Al for automotive applications. The reaction with oxygen in air is still a hurdle for magnesium in additive manufacturing, but latest innovations are overcoming it. This IMA webinar will introduce the current status of magnesium additive printing from leading companies and institutes, and will also demonstrate general 3D customer projects.

Join Simone Ehrenberger and the the International Magnesium Association (IMA) for a presentation on the update to the magnesium Life Cycle Assessment. (IMA) commissioned German Aerospace Center Institute of Vehicle Concepts (DLR) to update its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) information package. Simone headed the work from DLR and IMA provided an international advisory board to establish reliable and industry reference data to be included in LCA databases, such as GaBi and ecoinvent. Currently, most of the world's primary magnesium metal is produced in China using the Pidgeon process. The 2020 update indicates that greenhouse gas emissions from magnesium production using the Pidgeon process have been reduced since 2011. The report also highlights alternative primary production methods with much lower greenhouse gas emissions and notes that there are promising developments for expanding lower emission production capacity. Further, the report demonstrates that lightweight magnesium components in transport applications, such as aircraft and automobiles, result in lower greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle when compared to similar aluminum parts.

Learn about the latest advancements in magnesium Thixomolding for thin-walled lightweight parts for both automotive and other e-mobility solutions:

• Thixomolding is similar to that of injection molding for plastics and is an alternative for hot chamber die casting for thin-walled lightweight parts
• The Thixomolding process uses less casting energy and uses magnesium chips as input material
• castwerk operates the world's largest Thixomolding machine (1.250 ton) and is able to produce lightweight parts for large automotive cockpits, as well as footboards for e-scooters and engine parts for e-bikes.
  

Using IMA's new virtual demonstrator, an expert panel of IMA members will discuss magnesium automotive parts currently in use. IMA's automotive demonstrator provides an interactive tool for visualizing magnesium parts used in serial production. The expert panel of global leading die casting companies will introduce their parts and will be open to your questions.

As automakers strive to improve fuel efficiency and improve performance by reducing overall vehicle weight, the use of lightweight magnesium parts in vehicles is increasing. Currently, models in production use between 5kg and 30kg in magnesium parts. Given that magnesium is 33% lighter than aluminum and 75% lighter than steel, there is significantly more potential for lightweight magnesium applications across a broad range of product types.

Panel:

• Hartmut Fischer, STIHL Magnesium
• Michael Just, GF Casting Solutions
• Herbert Fackler, Meridian
• Jan Schütz, castwerk

Moderator: Martin Tauber, IMA European Representative

Over the last ten years there has been a renewed interest in magnesium sheet for a wide range of technically advanced applications. This was initially driven by reduction in fuel consumption across the transportation sectors and is now lead by consumer electronic housings, electrification of vehicles to gain range, and space/military applications. The new manufacturing and alloy technologies being considered by these sectors are supported by a foundation of legacy applications in the industry that provide a commercial bedrock for the manufacture of the material. This webinar session will cover recent developments in the manufacturing technologies of magnesium sheet and the new alloys associated with them. It will also provide insight to the state of the art in commercial magnesium industry.

Presenters: Dr. Dietmar Letzig and Dr. Bruce Davis, PhD

Dr. Dietmar Letzig, VP of Sales and Marketing

Dietmar studied physics at the universities of Kiel and Hamburg. After graduating, he joined the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH as a research assistant. He received his doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) from RWTH Aachen University in 1995 for work on coldformable NiAl intermetallics. He then moved to Alcan International Limited in Great Britain, Banbury, to work on aluminium sheet development (AA6016) for automotive. Since 2001 he has been head of the department "Magnesium Wrought Alloys" at Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht. He is the author of many papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and proceedings of international conferences. His area of expertise is the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of wrought magnesium alloys processed by thermomechanical treatment like twin roll casting, rolling, extrusion and forging. He is leading fundamental as well as application-oriented research projects in metal forming processes and an expert in the processing of magnesium sheet and their performance optimization.

Dr. Bruce Davis PhD, Head of Department Magnesium Wrought Alloys

Bruce graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Manchester University in the United Kingdom; where he also obtained his doctorate for work on aluminum sheet texture evolution in association with Alcan International Limited, UK. He was the “Luxfer Industrial Research Fellow” at Oxford University prior to moving to Holland to work at Corus Aluminum to develop commercial processing of rolled aluminum alloys. In 2003 he rejoined the Luxfer Group in the Magnesium Elektron Division where He focused on DC casting of magnesium alloys for four years at their Swinton facility in the United Kingdom. In 2007 he relocated to St Louis with his family, to work at Luxfer’s sheet and plate manufacturing facility where he has developed materials for automotive, aerospace and military applications. Luxfer offered him the role of VP Sales and Marketing in 2018 to oversee commercial aspects of the business in North America, South America, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.

The trajectory of the global primary magnesium market continues to be linked to the fundamentals of China’s supply demand balance and the impact on global metal flow of trade barriers. This webinar will present current trends in China’s primary magnesium production base, including an update on regional production, utilization rates, cost drivers, profitability, new capacity, technology developments, as well as a discussion about China’s recent environmental clampdown and its impact on magnesium production. We’ll also take a look at some new magnesium application developments.

The webinar will conclude by looking at the potential for new primary production capacity outside China, our views about how it might evolve and what the impact might be on the global market.

Presenter: Alan Clark

Alan Clark is a metallurgical engineer with an MBA from the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Alan began his career with Rio Tinto as a research engineer. He held several project development and marketing roles within RioTinto before leaving to establish the CM Group.

Over his 30-year career, Alan has lived and worked in many countries including Australia, South Africa, China, Argentina, the UK and Russia. He’s a sought-after speaker, has advised many governments and has testified as an expert witness at the United States International Trade Commission hearings. His experiences cover base metals supply chains, including aluminum, nickel, magnesium, tungsten, tin, manganese, copper and zinc.

The CM Group is an authority on primary magnesium production, particularly in China, where the company has been involved in the industry for over 20 years. Through the CM Group, Alan and his team provide a range of consulting and advisory services to the world's largest mining companies, investment banks, fund managers, industry bodies, governments and research companies. CM currently employs 14 people worldwide, with offices in China, Australia and Singapore.

When he’s not traveling the world conducting field studies, attending meetings or at conferences, Alan’s either with his partner and their four children, playing jazz music or at the beach on a surfboard.

Magnesium shows considerable potentials as lightweight material for weight sensitive applications. To assess the potential environmental benefits of magnesium in transport applications, the International Magnesium Association (IMA) initiated a study on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of magnesium.

The goal of this study was to assess the environmental potential of magnesium as lightweight material for the use in road vehicles and aircraft. For magnesium production and processing, up-to-date technologies are evaluated. In this webinar, we present the results of this study and compare the analyzed primary magnesium routes to other existing technologies.

Concerning the end-of-life of the products, we focus on the evaluation of road vehicles. Two application examples represent the use of magnesium in transport: a steering wheel for road vehicles and magnesium parts for an aircraft door. The evaluation of the end-of-life of magnesium parts aims to assess a representative recycling path for magnesium.

The overall life cycle of both magnesium parts is compared to aluminum as an alternative material with focus on the impact assessment results for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO₂eq).

Presenter: Simone Ehrenberger

Simone Ehrenberger is a researcher at the department of “Vehicle Systems and Technology Assessment” at the DLR Institute for Vehicle Concepts. Her research focuses on life cycle assessment of vehicles and vehicle components as well as on the assessment of tail-pipe emissions of passenger cars with alternative drive-trains. Before joining the Institute for Vehicle Concepts, she worked on various projects in the field of life cycle assessment at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology as well as the research group for material flow and resource management at the Institute of Applied Sciences at Pforzheim University.

The property advantages of magnesium alloys, and particularly high pressure die cast alloys, are discussed. Topics to be covered include:

• Magnesium metal applications and market development
• Inter-material comparisons
• Properties and advantages of different forms: wrought vs cast
• Die casting processes
• Die casting applications
• Common magnesium die casting alloys
• High temperature alloys
• Factors influencing alloy castability
• Corrosion issues and prevention.

Presenter: Trevor Abbott

Trevor Abbott
Trevor Abbott is currently Director of Research and Development at Magontec Limited and holds honorary positions at Monash University and RMIT University. He holds a Bachelors degree in Metallurgy and a PhD in aluminum alloys from Monash University. He worked in a research capacity in the Steel industry throughout the 1990's and has been engaged in magnesium alloy research since 2000.

Topics covered will be:

• Magnesium demand drivers for automotive application
• Magnesium property benefits for automotive use
• Magnesium alloy nomenclature and mechanical properties
• Extrusion process basics and its advantages
• Magnesium extrusion limitations and mitigation strategies
  
• Factors impacting extrusion cost and properties
• Post extrusion heat-treatment, forming, and joining options
• Corrosion protection
  

Presenter: Nes Abdulrahman
Mr. Nes Abdulrahman holds a Bachelors degree in Metallurgy from the University of Toronto, as well as an MBA from the University of Ottawa. He has worked in the magnesium industry in various roles since 1998; with eight years as a process engineer exposed to mining, reduction, casting and extrusion of magnesium alloys.

Presentation Outline:

• Mechanisms of magnesium corrosion
• Pre-treatment of magnesium alloys
• Inorganic coatings for corrosion protection
• Polymer and hybrid coatings
• Corrosion inhibitors for magnesium
• New active protection approaches
• From corrosion protection towards control of magnesium degradation in non-structural applications

Presenter: Nes Abdulrahman
Mr. Nes Abdulrahman holds a Bachelors degree in Metallurgy from the University of Toronto, as well as an MBA from the University of Ottawa. He has worked in the magnesium industry in various roles since 1998; with eight years as a process engineer exposed to mining, reduction, casting and extrusion of magnesium alloys.