Magnesium chloride

Colorless crystals, which, in the atmospheric environment, quickly begin to disintegrate - this is magnesium chloride, the formula of which is MgCI2. If they are dissolved in water, the solution thus obtained is widely used for the production of a variety of building materials of artificial origin, for example, magnesia cement. Storage of this substance should be carried out in a sealed container, as it is very hygroscopic.

Being a highly soluble substance in water, magnesium chloride is found in ordinary seawater, as well as found in potassium salt deposits, where it is in the form of hexahydrate. Therefore, this substance is not extracted by any laboratory-industrial method, but is used for its production of natural compounds, which are purified, and the resulting crystals are crushed. As a starting material, MgCl2 is used in the production of magnesium and its oxide, for the production of fire-resistant impregnations for wood. In addition, magnesium chloride is used to prepare the so-called Sorel cement. During this production, the calcined magnesium oxide is added to a concentrated solution of magnesium chloride.

The property of the obtained substance - rapid solidification at ordinary atmospheric temperature - allows it to be used as xylolite, encapsulating and binding material for building materials. Astringent properties allow the use of MgCl2 in pressing wood chips and obtaining fibrolite. Fibrolite is used as sound-insulation material. The effect of solidification is provided by the hydrolysis process and the production of the salt Mg2OCl2, which does not dissolve in water.

Magnesium chloride, due to its high hygroscopicity, is able to participate in the formation of hydrates with different amounts of water molecules. The level of this hygroscopicity is so great that if the humidity of the ambient air is below 50%, then magnesium chloride, like calcium and lithium chlorides, initiates the destruction of metals. One such hydrate is hexahydrate, which is a needle-shaped crystal that melts at 106 ° C. During the interaction of magnesium chloride with ammonium, salt-bitter-shaped rhomboid crystals are formed, which are readily soluble in aqueous solutions and alcohols.

The magnesium chloride compound, by virtue of its properties, generates essential salts that have a protective effect. Relative stability of these salts in a certain range of temperatures causes their wide application, but at the same time creates enough problems associated with environmental pollution. In particular, the potassium salts of magnesium chloride are used in the destruction of ice on the roads in winter. The effect of such an application is extremely doubtful, since this creates a threat of contamination of drains and causes damage in the form of corrosion.

For the electrolytic production of magnesium in the form of a metal magnesium chloride is also used, the preparation of this compound by means of such technology can also be found for medical purposes.

In nature, this substance, in addition to the already mentioned sea water, occurs in the form of carnallite. The most important sources of this mineral are in the Solikamsk area. The most common area where magnesium chloride is used is a communal facility, where this substance is used to activate the process of melting snow. In food production, this compound is known as the food additive E511. This additive as a food component is most often used by the inhabitants of Japan. They call it "nigari" - bitter juice. Obtain nigar, naturally, from sea water by evaporation. This product contains many useful elements - iron, sodium, potassium, zinc and others. Nigari is used mainly as a means of sealing soy milk and for preparing Japanese national tofu dishes.