But certain obstacles need to be overcome first

May 21, 2010 10:07 GMT  ·  By

Scientists believe that the chemical magnesium holds great promise for the future. Over the past few years, as people have begun waking up and realizing that they are harming the planet, much more emphasis has been placed on discovering alternative energy sources and materials. There are many goals in this effort, including reducing emissions from cars and industrial process, or lowering pollution levels associated with various industrial processes. Gas can also be saved by reducing the weight of a vehicle, and magnesium could theoretically help in all of these fields, LiveScience reports.

The substance is also one of the most widely available metallic chemicals on the planet, and physicists and chemists alike want to tap into its potential. However, there are a host of issues that need to be resolved beforehand, such as for instance the fact that magnesium tends to burn at very high temperatures, producing bright white flames that can easily blind people staring directly into them. This ability has made the chemical a favorite of firework makers, and also of high school science professors, who use it for flashy experiments to attract children to this field.

Another issue with magnesium is that it has a problem enduring the harsh conditions of modern-day industrial processes. While this may indeed be difficult to accomplish, experts highlight the fact that the benefits far outweigh the drawback. The chemical could be the next big lightweight, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly material. Scientists say that it can be used to set the foundation for everything from cars to laptops and mobile phones. A wide array of applications is detailed in a paper published in the May 21 issue of the esteemed journal Science.

“These challenges motivate wider spread use of magnesium – the eighth most common element in the Earth’s crust and also extractable from seawater,” explains University of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB) materials engineer Tresa Pollock, who is also an author of the investigation. “The availability of high-fidelity modeling tools permits a greater compositional space to be explored, increasing the likelihood that new, optimal solutions are identified,” she adds.