Magnesium chloride is the name for the
chemical compoundA chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
s with the
formulaA chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
s MgCl
2 and its various hydrates MgCl
2(H
2O)
x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from
brineBrine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
or sea water. Magnesium chloride as the natural mineral
bischofiteBischofite is a hydrous magnesium chloride mineral with formula MgCl2·6. It belongs to halides and is a sea salt concentrate dated from the Permian Period...
is also extracted (solution mining) out of ancient seabeds; for example, the
ZechsteinThe Zechstein is a unit of sedimentary rock layers of Middle to Late Permian age located in the European Permian Basin which stretches from the east coast of England to northern Poland...
seabed in northwest Europe.
AnhydrousAs a general term, a substance is said to be anhydrous if it contains no water. The way of achieving the anhydrous form differs from one substance to another...
magnesium chloride is the principal precursor to magnesium metal, which is produced on a large scale. Hydrated magnesium chloride is the form usually used in prescription oral magnesium supplements.
Structure, preparation, and general properties
MgCl crystallizes in the
cadmium chlorideCadmium chloride is a white crystalline compound of cadmium and chlorine, with the formula CdCl2. It is a hygroscopic solid that is highly soluble in water and slightly soluble in alcohol. Although it is considered to be ionic, it has considerable covalent character to its bonding...
motif, which features octahedral Mg. A variety of hydrates are known with the formula MgCl(H
2O)
x, and each loses water with increasing temperature: x = 12 (-16.4 °C), 8 (-3.4 °C), 6 (116.7 °C), 4 (181 °C), 2 (ca. 300 °C). In the hexahydrate, the Mg+ remains
octahedralIn chemistry, octahedral molecular geometry describes the shape of compounds where in six atoms or groups of atoms or ligands are symmetrically arranged around a central atom, defining the vertices of an octahedron...
, but is coordinated to six water
ligandIn coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding between metal and ligand generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs. The nature of metal-ligand bonding can range from...
s. The thermal dehydration of the hydrates MgCl(H
2O)
x (x = 6, 12) does not occur straightforwardly.
As suggested by the existence of some hydrates, anhydrous MgCl
2 is a
Lewis acid]The term Lewis acid refers to a definition of acid published by Gilbert N. Lewis in 1923, specifically: An acid substance is one which can employ a lone pair from another molecule in completing the stable group of one of its own atoms. Thus, H+ is a Lewis acid, since it can accept a lone pair,...
, although a very weak one.
In the
Dow processThe Dow process is the electrolytic method of bromine extraction from brine, and was Herbert Henry Dow's second revolutionary process for generating bromine commercially....
, magnesium chloride is regenerated from magnesium hydroxide using
hydrochloric acidHydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
:
- Mg(OH)2
Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg2. As a suspension in water, it is often called milk of magnesia because of its milk-like appearance. The solid mineral form of magnesium hydroxide is known as brucite....
(sSolid is one of the three classical states of matter . It is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a...
) + 2 HCl → MgCl2(aq) + 2 H2OWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
(lLiquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
)
It can also be prepared from
magnesium carbonateMagnesium carbonate, MgCO3, is a white solid that occurs in nature as a mineral. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals...
by a similar reaction.
In most of its derivatives, MgCl forms octahedral complexes. Derivatives with tetrahedral Mg
2+ are less common. Examples include salts of (tetraethylammoniumTetraethylammonium is a quaternary ammonium cation consisting of four ethyl groups attached to a central nitrogen atom. Like other members of its class, it can be used to alter a compound's solubility by displacing hard acids with this comparatively softer acid...
)2MgCl4 and adductAn adduct is a product of a direct addition of two or more distinct molecules, resulting in a single reaction product containing all atoms of all components. The resultant is considered a distinct molecular species...
s such as MgCl(TMEDA).
Applications
Magnesium chloride serves as precursor to other magnesium compounds, for example by precipitation:
- MgCl(aq) + Ca(OH)2
Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or...
(aq) → Mg(OH)2Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg2. As a suspension in water, it is often called milk of magnesia because of its milk-like appearance. The solid mineral form of magnesium hydroxide is known as brucite....
(sSolid is one of the three classical states of matter . It is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a...
) + CaCl2Calcium chloride, CaCl2, is a salt of calcium and chlorine. It behaves as a typical ionic halide, and is solid at room temperature. Common applications include brine for refrigeration plants, ice and dust control on roads, and desiccation...
(aq)
It can be
electrolysedIn chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of using a direct electric current to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction...
to give
magnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
metal:
- MgCl(l
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
) → Mg(lLiquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
) + Cl(gGas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
)
This process is practiced on a substantial scale.
Magnesium chloride is used for a variety of other applications besides the production of
magnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
: the manufacture of textiles,
paperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
,
fireproofing agentsFireproofing, a passive fire protection measure, refers to the act of making materials or structures more resistant to fire, or to those materials themselves, or the act of applying such materials. Applying a certification listed fireproofing system to certain structures allows these to have a...
,
cementIn the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
s and
refrigerationRefrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
brine, and dust and erosion control. Mixed with hydrated magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride forms a hard material called
Sorel cementSorel cement is a non-hydraulic cement first produced by Frenchman Stanislas Sorel in 1867.The cement is a mixture of magnesium oxide with magnesium chloride with the approximate chemical formula Mg4Cl268, corresponding to a weight ratio of 2.5–3.5 parts MgO to one part MgCl2...
.
Magnesium ion Mg
2+ (usually added as the chloride) is an important component in the
polymerase chain reactionThe polymerase chain reaction is a scientific technique in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence....
, a procedure used to amplify DNA fragments. It is generally used in experimental biology whenever RNA and DNA and their enzymes are to function
in vitroIn vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments...
, since Mg
2+ is a necessary associate ion for
nucleotideNucleotides are molecules that, when joined together, make up the structural units of RNA and DNA. In addition, nucleotides participate in cellular signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions...
s in biology, such as ATP.
Magnesium chloride is also used in several medical and topical (skin related) applications. It has been used in pills as supplemental sources of magnesium, where it serves as a soluble compound which is not as laxative as
magnesium sulfateMagnesium sulfate is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO4. It is often encountered as the heptahydrate epsomite , commonly called Epsom salt, from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the...
, and more bioavailable than
magnesium hydroxideMagnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg2. As a suspension in water, it is often called milk of magnesia because of its milk-like appearance. The solid mineral form of magnesium hydroxide is known as brucite....
and
magnesium oxideMagnesium oxide , or magnesia, is a white hygroscopic solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase and is a source of magnesium . It has an empirical formula of and consists of a lattice of Mg2+ ions and O2– ions held together by ionic bonds...
, since it does not require stomach acid to produce soluble Mg
2+ ion. It can also be used as an effective anaesthetic for cephalopods, some species of crustaceans, and several species of bivalve, including oysters.
Culinary use
Magnesium chloride (
E511E numbers are number codes for food additives that have been assessed for use within the European Union . They are commonly found on food labels throughout the European Union. Safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority...
) is an important
coagulantCoagulant can refer to:* flocculation* coagulation agent...
used in the preparation of
tofuis a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
from
soy milkSoy milk and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from soybeans. A stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein, it is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water...
. In Japan it is sold as
nigari (にがり, derived from the Japanese word for "bitter"), a white powder produced from seawater after the
sodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
has been removed, and the water evaporated. In China it is called
lushui (卤水).
Nigari or
lushui consists mostly of magnesium chloride, with some
magnesium sulfateMagnesium sulfate is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO4. It is often encountered as the heptahydrate epsomite , commonly called Epsom salt, from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the...
and other trace elements. It is also an ingredient in baby formula milk.
Use as an anti-icer
A number of state highway departments throughout the United States have decreased the use of rock salt and sand on roadways and have increased the use of solutions of magnesium chloride (often called "liquid magnesium chloride") as a de-icer or anti-icer. Magnesium chloride is much less toxic to plant life surrounding highways and airports, and is less corrosive to concrete and steel (and other iron alloys) than sodium chloride. The liquid magnesium chloride is sprayed on dry pavement (tarmac) prior to precipitation or wet pavement prior to freezing temperatures in the winter months to prevent snow and ice from adhering and bonding to the roadway. The application of anti-icers is utilized in an effort to improve highway safety. Magnesium chloride is also sold in crystal form for household and business use to de-ice sidewalks and driveways. In these applications, the compound is applied after precipitation has fallen or ice has formed, instead of previously.
The use of this compound seems to show an improvement in driving conditions during and after freezing precipitation, but it can damage electric utilities. This occurs in two ways: contamination of insulators, causing tracking and arcing across them, and corrosion of steel and
aluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
poles and pole hardware.
Use in dust and erosion control
Road departments and private industry may apply liquid or powdered magnesium chloride to control dust and erosion on unimproved (dirt or gravel) roads and dusty job sites such as quarries. Its
hygroscopyHygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment. This is achieved through either absorption or adsorption with the absorbing or adsorbing material becoming physically 'changed,' somewhat, by an increase in volume, stickiness, or other...
makes it absorb moisture from the air, controlling the number of small particles which become airborne. Owners of indoor arenas (e.g. for horse riding) may apply magnesium chloride to sand or other floor materials to control dust.
Use in hydrogen storage
Magnesium chloride has shown promise as a storage material for
hydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
.
AmmoniaAmmonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
, which is rich in hydrogen atoms, is used as an intermediate storage material. Ammonia can be effectively absorbed onto solid magnesium chloride, forming Mg(NH
3)
6Cl. Ammonia is released by mild heat, and is then passed through a catalyst to give hydrogen gas.
Medical and veterinary use
Medically-prescribed magnesium supplements such as Slo-Mag and Mag-SR contain magnesium chloride which is slowly released from a matrix. However, since magnesium is absorbed by the body in ionic form (after the salt dissolves in water) such supplements have no advantage over any soluble magnesium salt (for example,
magnesium citrateMagnesium citrate, a magnesium salt of citric acid, is a chemical agent used medicinally as a saline laxative and to completely empty the bowel prior to a major surgery or colonoscopy. It is available without a prescription, both as a generic brand or under the brand name Citromag or Citroma. It is...
or
magnesium aspartateMagnesium aspartate, the magnesium salt of aspartic acid, is a mineral supplement....
).
One veterinary study in 1989 indicated some effectiveness against tumors when magnesium chloride was used as a feed additive.
Experimental antilipid effects in animals
In a recent experiment with mice, MgCl fortification of drinking water reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels, although overall plasma lipid levels were similar at the beginning and the end of the study.
Marine aquarium use
Magnesium in natural seawater values are between 1250 mg/L and 1350 mg/L. Magnesium helps to stabilize the correct combination of calcium, alkalinity, and pH values. Severely low values of magnesium (900 mg/L or below) can cause low pH values and an inability to maintain proper alkalinity and calcium values. If levels of magnesium become too low, coral growth ceases; decline of coral health follows. Carbonates and calcium are essential for all growth of corals, coralline algae, clams, and invertebrates. Maintaining the correct magnesium values is very important and is indirectly responsible for coral and coralline algae growth by making it possible to maintain correct calcium, alkalinity, and pH values. Magnesium can be depleted by mangrove plants and the use of excessive Kalkwasser or by going beyond natural calcium, alkalinity, and pH values.
Toxicology
Magnesium ions are bitter-tasting, and magnesium chloride solutions are bitter in varying degrees, depending on the concentration of magnesium.
Magnesium toxicity from magnesium salts is rare in healthy individuals with a normal diet, because excess magnesium is readily excreted in urine by the kidneys. A few cases of oral magnesium toxicity have been described in persons with normal renal function ingesting large amounts of magnesium salts, but it is rare. If a large amount of magnesium chloride is eaten, it will have effects similar to
magnesium sulfateMagnesium sulfate is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO4. It is often encountered as the heptahydrate epsomite , commonly called Epsom salt, from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the...
, causing diarrhea, although the sulfate also contributes to the laxative effect in magnesium sulfate, so the effect from the chloride is not as severe.
External links