Magnesium: Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going?
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Robert E. “Bob” Brown receiving a lifetime achievement L I]Z egZhZci ]^\] Xdhi VcY adl VkV^aVW^a^in d[ award from the IMA at their 2007 annual meeting in Vancouver, B.C., bV\cZh^jb VcY ^ih Vaadnh VgZ ]VbeZg^c\ XdbbZgX^Va Canada.1 egd_ZXihVcYdeZc^c\Yddgh[dgXdbeZi^c\bViZg^Vah egdYjXZY^c'%%+#I]^h^hVgZXdgY[dgldgaYbV\cZh^jb LI]ZXdbeZi^i^kZegZhhjgZ[gdbdi]ZgbZiVah!eaVhi^Xh!Unusual Year for WorldegdYjXi^dc#¹=^hhjbbVgnX]Vgid[ldgaYl^YZbV\cZh^jb Magnesium in 2007 Xdbedh^iZh!VcYZkZclddY]VhcZkZgWZZc\gZViZg egdYjXi^dc^c'%%,^hh]dlc^cIVWaZ>!l]ZgZ^i^hhZZc L 6h VgZ5HFRUG3URGXFWLRQ³3ULFHV6N\URFNHWLQJ di]Zgh! i]Z bV\cZh^jb ^cYjhign ^h [VX^c\ i]Vis-'d[i]ZldgaYbV\cZh^jblVhegdYjXZY^chdbZ X]VaaZc\ZhedhZYWn\adWValVgb^c\VcYZck^gdcbZciVa -%eaVcih^c8]^cV!VaaWni]ZgbVagZYjXi^dcd[Ydadb^iZ XdcXZgch By Robert E. Brown, Contributingl^i][Zggdh^a^XdcE^Y\ZdcegdXZhh# Editor L Bdhi eg^bVgn bV\cZh^jb ^h egdYjXZY ^c 8]^cV ji^a^o^c\Vi]ZgbVaegdXZhhE^Y\Zdci]Vi^hcdl[VXZYIntroduction l^i] Zb^hh^dc gZYjXi^dc gZfj^gZbZcih Wn i]Z 8]^cZhZ \dkZgcbZcin a review that was done for Light Metal Age in February L2007, BV\cZh^jb it was predicted lVh gZ_ZXiZY that “2007 Wn may i]Z bring AdcYdc even BZiVamore :mX]Vc\Z^c'%%,VhVigVYZYXdbbdY^inbZiVaYjZidi]Zstartling news (for the magnesium industry).” That hbVaah^oZd[i]Z^cYjhignVcYi]ZXdcigdad[egdYjXi^dcis exactly what happened. Magnesium has tended to IbeWn8]^cV a metal that is largely ignored by the general public andL >cVcZl:jgdeZVc8dbbjc^inegd\gVb!bV\cZh^jbmedia except when a large fi re at a plant makes the nationall^aa WZ XaVhh^ÃZYnews. World Vh Vinterest ediZci^Vaan in magnesium ]VoVgYdjh has X]Zb^XVa! fl ared up,VcY however. bV\cZh^jb The ^bedgiZY recent rapid ^c i]Z increase Xdjcig^Zh in magnesium jcYZg i]Z prices_jg^hY^Xi^dcd[i]Zegd\gVbl^aa[VXZbdgZhXgji^cn has forced major users to pay attention. Although magnesiumL 8dbeVgZY production l^i] XdbeZi^i^kZ set new production bViZg^Vah! records, bV\cZh^jb the pricebVg`Zi^c\$hVaZh$Zc\^cZZg^c\^c[gVhigjXijgZVcYhjeedgi was still skyrocketing at the end of 2007.