# Magnalium > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Magnalium > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Magnalium.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnalium > Source revision: 1317096929 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Aluminium alloy **Magnalium** is an [alloy](/source/Alloy) of [aluminium](/source/Aluminium) and [magnesium](/source/Magnesium). ## Properties Alloys with small amounts of magnesium (about 5%) exhibit greater strength, greater [corrosion](/source/Corrosion) resistance, and lower [density](/source/Density) than pure aluminium. Such alloys are also more workable and easier to weld than pure aluminium.[1] Alloys with high amounts of magnesium (around 50%) are brittle and more susceptible to corrosion than aluminium. ## Uses Although they are generally more expensive than aluminium, the high strength, low density, and greater workability of alloys with low amounts of magnesium leads to their use in aircraft and automobile parts. It is also used for making balance beams and other components of light instruments.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ### Pyrotechnics Alloys; which are generally not true alloys but intermetallic compounds; with about 50% magnesium are brittle and [corrode](/source/Corrode) easily, which makes them unsuitable for most engineering uses. These compounds are flammable when powdered, are more resistant to corrosion than pure magnesium, and are generally more reactive than pure aluminium; they are used in [pyrotechnics](/source/Pyrotechnics) as a metal fuel for colored flames, to produce sparks in some glitter and streamer stars, and as a more consistent replacement for separate magnesium and aluminium powders in crackling microstars ([dragon eggs](/source/Dragon_eggs)). Magnalium powder also burns with a crackling sound if burnt by itself. It is somewhat less reactive than magnesium in most cases, showing no reaction with sulfur in particular, but is nearly as reactive as magnesium with [antimony trisulfide](/source/Antimony_trisulfide) (producing the extremely poisonous and flammable [Hydrogen sulfide](/source/Hydrogen_sulfide) gas) and more dangerously reactive with nitrates, slowly reacting to produce ammonia gas where magnesium only reacts slowly to produce inert products.[2]: 57 In some cases the normally faster-reacting magnesium component of magnalium serves to slow down a reaction due to its higher reactivity in a composition. This occurs in dragon eggs, where slower oxidation of magnesium by [lead tetraoxide](/source/Lead_tetraoxide) (Pb3O4) allows time for the formed [lead monoxide](/source/Lead_monoxide) (PbO) gas to build up without reacting with the aluminium portion, so when the magnesium is finally consumed the aluminium reaction occurs rapidly enough to produce an explosion. If too much magnesium is present in the alloy (or added to the mix), it will burn continuously but not produce the desired effect. Similarly too little magnesium will prevent enough PbO vapor from building up to react rapidly and the aluminium will simply burn.[2]: 33 ## See also - [Magnesium alloy](/source/Magnesium_alloy) - [Birmabright](/source/Birmabright) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [magnalium — Infoplease.com](http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0831148.html) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Shimizu2_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Shimizu2_2-1) Shimizu, Takeo. ["Some Techniques for Manufacturing Fireworks: (1) Dark Delay Compositions, (2) The Use of Metal Powders"](https://www.jpyro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Sh2_001_caac.pdf) (PDF). *Journal of Pyrotechnics*. Selected Publications of Dr. Takeo Shimizu (Translations). **2**. ## External links - [Making Magnalium](http://www.vk2zay.net/article.php/85) - [http://www.thegreenman.me.uk/pro/magnalium.html](http://www.thegreenman.me.uk/pro/magnalium.html) v t e Aluminium alloys Introduction Aluminium Aluminum powder Aluminium alloys History of aluminium Al 1000 series (pure) 1050 1060 1070 1100 1145 1199 1200 1230 1350 1370 1420 1421 1424 1430 1440 1441 1445 1450 1460 1461 1464 1469 Al-Cu 2000 series 2004 2011 2014 2017 2020 2024 2025 2029 2036 2048 2055 2080 2090 2091 2094 2095 2097 2098 2099 2124 2195 2196 2197 2198 2218 2219 2224&2324 2297 2319 2397 2519 2524 2618 Al-Mn 3000 series 3003 3004 3005 3102 3102&3303 3105 3203 Al-Si 4000 series 4006 4007 4015 4032 4043 4047 4543 Al-Mg 5000 series 5005&5657 5010 5019 5024 5026 5050 5052&5652 5056 5059 5083 5086 5154&5254 5182 5252 5356 5454 5456 5457 5557 5754 Al-Mg-Si 6000 series 6005 (6005A) 6009 6010 6013 6022 6060 6061 6063 6065 6066 6070 6081 6082 6101 6105 6113 6151 6162 6201 6205 6262 6351 6463 6951 Al-Zn 7000 series 7005 7010 7022 7034 7039 7046 7050 7055 7065 7068 7072 7075 7079 7085 7090 7091 7093 7116 7129 7150 7178 7255 7475 8000 series (misc.) 8006 8009 8011 8014 8019 8025 8030 8090 8091 8093 8176 Named alloys Aluminium–lithium alloys AlBeMet Alclad Alnico AlSiC Alumel Aluminium granules Alusil Birmabright Devarda's alloy Duralumin Hiduminium (aka R.R. alloys) Hydronalium Italma Lo-Ex Magnalium Magnox (alloy) MKM steel Nickel aluminide Aluminium–scandium alloys Y alloy Al-Ca composite Hypereutectic piston Aluminium bronze AlSi10Mg --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Magnalium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnalium) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnalium?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.