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Magnesium Rod
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Purity | Diameter | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 99.9% to 99.97% | 1.6mm to 76mm | 10mm to 1000mm |
Need custom configurations? Please contact our Technical Solutions team.
Key Features
Magnesium rod possesses a combination of material characteristics that make it particularly well suited for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, cathodic protection, and energy applications:
Ultra-Low Density (1.74 g/cm³) & High Specific Strength
Magnesium is the lightest structural metal, offering significant weight savings in aerospace, automotive, and electronics. Its high specific strength supports lightweight load-bearing designs without compromising structural integrity.
High Thermal Conductivity (156 W/m·K)
Magnesium conducts heat efficiently, supporting its use in heating elements, mineral-insulated copper-clad (MICC) cables, and magnesium-air batteries where reliable thermal transfer is essential.
Shock Absorption & Vibration Damping
Magnesium exhibits excellent internal damping, outperforming aluminium and steel in vibration control. This makes it ideal for aerospace panels, motor housings, and precision instruments where minimising vibration is critical.
Machinability & Structural Stability
Magnesium rods are easy to machine and maintain structural stability, making them well-suited for precision-turned parts, fasteners, and structural components in demanding assemblies.
Sacrificial Anode Functionality
Magnesium rods are widely used as sacrificial anodes in water heaters, pipelines, and marine systems. Their high electrochemical activity protects steel and other metals from corrosion in aggressive environments.
Non-Magnetic & Biocompatible
Magnesium is non-magnetic and exhibits low toxicity. With proper surface treatment, it is suitable for biodegradable implants and orthopedic devices, where gradual resorption in the body is a key design requirement.
Industrial Applications
High-purity magnesium rod is used across advanced industries for its low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, electrochemical reactivity, and excellent thermal properties:
- ✦ Aerospace & Automotive Engineering
- Used in lightweight structural components, brackets, and fasteners where reducing mass is critical. Magnesium rods improve fuel efficiency in aircraft, spacecraft, and high-performance vehicles without compromising durability.
- ✦ Cathodic Protection Systems
- Employed as sacrificial anodes in pipelines, underground storage tanks, marine structures, and water heaters. Magnesium's high electrochemical potential makes it ideal for protecting ferrous metals from corrosion in aggressive environments.
- ✦ Heating Elements & MICC Cables
- Used in the manufacture of MICC cables and industrial heating systems. Magnesium rods contribute to thermal conductivity and structural stability in high-temperature, reliability-critical applications.
- ✦ Metal Alloying & Grain Refinement
- Used as an alloying agent in aluminium and titanium production to enhance strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance. Also used in grain refinement during casting to improve mechanical performance in aerospace and automotive alloys.
- ✦ Pyrotechnics & Specialty Ignition Systems
- Applied in flares, ignition devices, and chemical synthesis where high reactivity and clean combustion are required. Magnesium rods provide a reliable ignition source in aerospace and emergency applications.
- ✦ Biomedical Implants & Devices
- Explored for use in biodegradable orthopedic implants, screws, and temporary fixation devices. Magnesium's biocompatibility and gradual resorption in the body make it a promising material for next-generation medical applications.
Mentions in Scientific Literature
Goodfellow's magnesium rod features prominently in research including but not exclusive to domains such as:
Biomedical Implants & Corrosion Studies, used to evaluate localised corrosion and degradation rates in simulated physiological fluids, supporting the development of bioabsorbable implants
[1–2]
.
Mechanical Testing for Biomedical Alloys, employed in compression tests to study work-hardening and strain rate effects in magnesium-based alloys
[3]
.
Nuclear Waste Stabilisation, used in corrosion studies to develop magnesium-based cements for stabilising radioactive Magnox waste
[4]
.
Surface Engineering & Coatings, used in anodisation research to produce hard, wear-resistant coatings enhanced with ceramic and polymer additives
[5]
.
Geological & Long-Term Waste Storage Research, tested in low-oxygen cement environments to study corrosion behaviour and hydrogen generation for long-term radioactive waste storage
[6]
.
Hydrogen Storage Materials, modified through surface treatments to improve hydrogen absorption in solid-state storage systems
[7]
.
Dental Equipment Protection, used as sacrificial anodes to reduce corrosion in steel dental tools during sterilisation
[8]
.
Across these disciplines researchers have utilised our magnesium rods as
corrosion probes in simulated physiological and geological environments
[1–2, 6]
,
mechanical compression test standards for biomedical alloy development
[3]
,
sacrificial anodes for cathodic protection of metal infrastructure and dental tools
[8]
, and
coating and hydrogen storage substrates
[5, 7]
— applications that all benefit from magnesium's low density, electrochemical activity, and reactive surface chemistry.
References & Citations
Click to expand
- Ročňáková, I., Montufar, E. B., Miroslava Horynová, Zikmund, T., Karel Novotný, Lenka Klakurková, Ladislav Čelko, Song, G.-L., & Kaiser, J. (2015). Assessment of localized corrosion under simulated physiological conditions of magnesium samples with heterogeneous microstructure: Value of X-ray computed micro-tomography platform. Corrosion Science, 104, 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2015.12.009
- Casas-Luna, M., Tkachenko, S., Miroslava Horynová, Lenka Klakurková, Pavel Gejdos, Diaz-de-la-Torre, S., Ladislav Celko, Kaiser, J., & Montufar, E. B. (2017). Interpenetrated Magnesium–Tricalcium Phosphate Composite: Manufacture, Characterization and In Vitro Degradation Test. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 30(4), 319–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-017-0560-0
- Boehlert, C. J., Sabirov, I., & Hernández-Escobar, D. (2023). Comparison of Strain Rate Effects on the Room Temperature Compression Deformation Behavior of Pure Zn, Pure Mg and Zn-3mg (Wt.%). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4669091
- Vickers, J. (2022). Development of a Pre-Treatment Process for Magnesium & Magnox Wastes (Doctoral dissertation, University of Leeds). https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/31803/1/Vickers_JA_CAPE_PhD_2022.pdf
- Remešová, I. (2020). Research and Development of a Technology of Hard Anodization of Nonferrous Alloys. https://theses.cz/id/vja4xv/remesova_2020-final_version.pdf
- Senior, N., Martino, T., Diomidis, N., & Gaggiano, R. (2023). The corrosion behavior of nonferrous metals in deep geological repository environments. Materials and Corrosion, 74(11–12), 1756–1764. https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.202313772
- Révész, Á., & Takacs, L. (2009). Coating a Cu plate with a Zr–Ti powder mixture using surface mechanical attrition treatment. Surface and Coatings Technology, 203(20–21), 3026–3031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2009.03.023
- Wei, M., Dyson, J. E., & Darvell, B. W. (2012). Factors Affecting Dental Air-Turbine Handpiece Bearing Failure. Department of Bioclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Health Sciences Centre, Kuwait University. https://meridian.allenpress.com/operative-dentistry/article-abstract/37/4/E1/205946
Synonyms
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 12 |
| Crystal structure | Hexagonal close packed |
| Electronic structure | Ne 3s² |
| Valences shown | 2 |
| Atomic weight( amu ) | 24.305 |
| Thermal neutron absorption cross-section( Barns ) | 0.064 |
| Photo-electric work function( eV ) | 3.66 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 24/ 78.99 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 26/ 11.01 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 25/ 10.00 |
| Atomic radius - Goldschmidt( nm ) | 0.16 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 2/ 15.03 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 6/ 187 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 4/ 109 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 5/ 141 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 1/ 7.65 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 3/ 80.1 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Material condition | Hard |
| Material condition | Soft |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.291 |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.291 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 35.6 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 35.6 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 44.7 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 44.7 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 35-45 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 30-35 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 232 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 185 |
| Yield strength( MPa ) | 69 |
| Yield strength( MPa ) | 100 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 4.2@20°C |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | 0.00425@0-100°C |
| Thermal emf against Pt (cold 0C - hot 100C)( mV ) | 0.44 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Boiling point( C ) | 1090 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 1.74@20°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point( C ) | 649 |
| Latent heat of evaporation( J g⁻¹ ) | 5254 |
| Latent heat of fusion( J g⁻¹ ) | 362 |
| Specific heat( J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹ ) | 1020@25°C |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 156@0-100°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 26@0-100°C |
Tolerances
| Diameter | =<10mm | ±10% |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | >10mm | ±5% |