Magnesium metal (Mg) has low density, good strength-to-weight, and outstanding stiffness-to-weight ratio. A multi-material vehicle body using Mg alloys could reduce the weight of a vehicle by 25% relative to aluminum, and 50% vs. steel.

Unfortunately most Mg production uses either a labor-intensive heavily polluting thermal process involving coal combustion and emits soot, sulfur, Pb and Hg as well as CO₂; or else an expensive electrolytic process. The thermal process is so bad that China shut down most of their magnesium production leading up to the 2008 and 2022 Olympics.

This project will continue development of a new inexpensive process for MgO reduction to Mg and Mg alloy recycling which is similar to, and likely as cheap as, aluminum production. The goal will be to reach component cost parity with steel, so substitution of Mg for steel and reducing vehicle weight is free. This will in turn reduce the battery requirements and costs for vehicle electrification.

Faculty Advisor: Adam Powell | WPI (Mechanical and Materials Engineering)

Teacher Component: Teachers will participate in experiments which distill magnesium metal at 700-900°C, requiring safety training. It may also incorporate high-temperature electrochemistry experiments at 950-1050°C, customer discovery to learn about the market, and possibly finite element analysis, and/or life cycle analysis of process energy use and emissions including all inputs, depending on the goals and skills of the participants.