The need for light-weight materials, especially in the automobile industry, created renewed interest in innovative applications of magnesium materials. This demand has resulted in increased research and development activity in companies and research institutes in order to achieve an improved property profile and better choice of alloy systems. Here, development trends and application potential in different fields like the automotive industry and communication technology are discussed in an interdisciplinary framework.

Magnesium and magnesium alloys provide unique properties for engineering applications. Magnesium alloys are popular as a structural material because of their combination of light weight and strength. They are desirable for portable tools, appliances, electronic devices, airplanes, space vehicles, and land transportation. This book is written for engineers, scientists, teachers, and students engaged in the design process of material selection and material elimination. While focused on mechanical properties for structural design, the physical properties that are germane to corrosion behavior and electrical applications are represented. Two-thirds of the book is devoted to datasheets for individual alloys which provide a handy quick reference to specific properties and performance. The remainder of the book addresses topics common to all magnesium alloys such as the alloy designation system and product forms. Casting alloys and wrought alloys are compared. The alloy performance at elevated temperature is presented, as are fatigue properties. Finally, a summary of the corrosion behavior of selected alloys is discussed along with how these corrosion mechanisms can be applied for beneficial results.

Despite their tremendous potential, Mg and its alloys are not yet used in biomedical applications. This book aims to provide scientific insights into the challenges of the materials, and give an overview of the research regarding their mechanical properties, corrosion behaviour and biological performances. The authors intend to put the reader into the position to accurate discern the proper Mg-based material for his/her applications and to choose the proper improvement strategy to his/her cause. To this aim, the manuscript is structured as follow: in Section 2, the main challenges hampering the use of magnesium in biomedical applications and the common improvement strategies are listed. In Section 3, the most investigated Mg alloys are reported in separate sub-sections, detailing their mechanical properties, corrosion behaviour and biotoxicity. High-pure and ultra-high-pure Mg, Al-based Mg alloys, Zn-based Mg alloys, Ca-based alloys and RE-based Mg alloys have been considered. In Section 4, the alloys’ performances with respect to the challenges is summarized providing the reader with useful information and suggestions on the potentially most suited choice. Finally, in Section 5, an outlook portraying the authors’ opinion of the future development of the field will be provided. This book will allow biomedical engineers, surface scientists, material scientists, implant manufacturers and companies working on implant approval an overview of the state-of-the-art technologies adopted so far to overcome the drawbacks of Mg for biomedical applications. Particular emphasis is put on explaining the link between mechanical, corrosion and biocompatible properties of Mg and its alloys as well as their pros and cons. In doing so, the authors intend to put the reader into the position to accurate discern the proper Mg-based material for his/her applications and to choose the proper improvement strategy to his/her cause.

This collection from the 12th International Conference on Magnesium Alloys and Their Applications (Mg 2021)—the longest running conference dedicated to the development of magnesium alloys—covers the breadth of magnesium research and development, from primary production to applications to end-of-life management. Authors from academia, government, and industry discuss new developments in magnesium alloys and share valuable insights. Topics in this volume include but are not limited to the following: Primary production Alloy development Solidification and casting processes Forming and thermo-mechanical processing Other manufacturing process development (including joining and additive manufacturing) Corrosion and protection Modeling and simulation Structural, functional, biomedical, and energy applications Advanced characterization and fundamental theories Recycling and environmental issues