Magnesium corrodes badly under many conditions and therefore need be painted or given some surface finish to avoid corrosion. Magnesium being costly, finds applications where light weight is a very important requirement, such as in aircraft industry. Magnesium is alloyed with elements such as A1, Zn, Mn, Z r, etc., to make it useful for engineering applications. Alloying increases strength and corrosion resistance.
Magnesium alloys possess:
(i) High strength to weight ratio.
(ii) Good fatigue strength.
(iii) Good dimensional stability in service.
(iv)Good damping capacity.
(v) High thermal conductivity.
(vi)Relatively high electrical conductivity.
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