Modelling of thermal magnesium processes

The current dominant route for extracting magnesium metal is via the Pidgeon process, a batch pyrometallurgical route which is based on a silicothermic reduction of calcined dolomite. While this process is versatile and offers simple operation, the productivity of this process is very low. Other silicothermic processes increase the productivity by carrying out the reduction at higher temperature, but it leads to greater impurities in the metal. This study was focused on the fundamental physical chemistry associated with the silicothermic processes, including the behaviour of impurities in the process. This was achieved by conducting thermodynamic modelling, kinetics analysis, and high temperature experiments to confirm the predictions.