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Magnesium oxide

 
Magnesium Oxide

 
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Magnesium oxide
 
 
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Magnesium oxide, or magnesia, is a white solid mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
 that occurs naturally as periclase
Periclase

Periclase occurs naturally in contact metamorphic rocks and is a major component of most basic refractory bricks. It is a cubic crystal system form of magnesium oxide ....
 and is a source of magnesium
Magnesium

Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, atomic weight 24.3050 and common oxidation number +2.Magnesium, an alkaline earth metal, is the ninth most abundance of the chemical elements in the universe by mass....
 (see also oxide
Oxide

An oxide is a chemical compound contaning at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides....
). It has an empirical formula
Empirical formula

In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is a complex expression of the relative numbers of each type of atom in it. An empirical formula makes references to isomerism, structure, or absolute number of atoms....
 of . It is formed by an ionic bond
Ionic bond

An ionic bond is a type of chemical bond that involves a metal and a non-metal ions through electrostatic attraction. In short, it is a bond formed by the attraction between two oppositely charged ions....
 between one magnesium and one oxygen atom
Atom

|-! bgcolor=gray | Properties|-||}The atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central atomic nucleus surrounded by a electron cloud of electric charge electrons....
. Magnesium oxide is easily made by burning magnesium ribbon which oxidizes in a bright white
White

White is a color, the Color vision#Physiology of color perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in near equal amount and with high brightness compared to the surroundings....
 light
Light

Light, or visible light, is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength that is Visible spectrum to the human eye , or up to 380?750 nm. In the broader field of physics, light is sometimes used to refer to electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths, whether visible or not....
, resulting in a powder
Powder (substance)

A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material....
. It is hygroscopic
Hygroscopy

Hygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract water molecules from the surrounding Natural environment through either absorption or adsorption....
 in nature and care must be taken to protect it from moisture.






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Encyclopedia


Magnesium oxide, or magnesia, is a white solid mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
 that occurs naturally as periclase
Periclase

Periclase occurs naturally in contact metamorphic rocks and is a major component of most basic refractory bricks. It is a cubic crystal system form of magnesium oxide ....
 and is a source of magnesium
Magnesium

Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, atomic weight 24.3050 and common oxidation number +2.Magnesium, an alkaline earth metal, is the ninth most abundance of the chemical elements in the universe by mass....
 (see also oxide
Oxide

An oxide is a chemical compound contaning at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides....
). It has an empirical formula
Empirical formula

In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is a complex expression of the relative numbers of each type of atom in it. An empirical formula makes references to isomerism, structure, or absolute number of atoms....
 of . It is formed by an ionic bond
Ionic bond

An ionic bond is a type of chemical bond that involves a metal and a non-metal ions through electrostatic attraction. In short, it is a bond formed by the attraction between two oppositely charged ions....
 between one magnesium and one oxygen atom
Atom

|-! bgcolor=gray | Properties|-||}The atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central atomic nucleus surrounded by a electron cloud of electric charge electrons....
. Magnesium oxide is easily made by burning magnesium ribbon which oxidizes in a bright white
White

White is a color, the Color vision#Physiology of color perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in near equal amount and with high brightness compared to the surroundings....
 light
Light

Light, or visible light, is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength that is Visible spectrum to the human eye , or up to 380?750 nm. In the broader field of physics, light is sometimes used to refer to electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths, whether visible or not....
, resulting in a powder
Powder (substance)

A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material....
. It is hygroscopic
Hygroscopy

Hygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract water molecules from the surrounding Natural environment through either absorption or adsorption....
 in nature and care must be taken to protect it from moisture. Magnesium hydroxide
Magnesium hydroxide

Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg2. As a suspension in water, it may be referred to as Milk of Magnesia....
 forms in the presence of water (MgO + H2O ? Mg(OH)2), but it can be reversed by heating it to separate moisture.

The crystal structure of MgO matches the crystal structure of NaCl
Sodium chloride

Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula SodiumChlorine....
.

Applications

  • In medicine, magnesium oxide is used for relief for heartburn and sore stomach, as an antacid, magnesium supplement, and as a short-term laxative
    Laxative

    Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the Colon for rectum and bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas in that circumstance....
    . It is also used to improve symptoms of indigestion. Side effects of magnesium oxide may include nausea and cramping. In quantities sufficient to obtain a laxative effect, side effects of long-term use include enterolith
    Enterolith

    An enterolith is a mineral concretion or Calculus formed anywhere in the gastrointestinal system. Enteroliths are uncommon and usually incidental findings but, once found, they require at a minimum watchful waiting....
    s resulting in bowel obstruction
    Bowel obstruction

    Bowel obstruction is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines, preventing the normal transit of the products of digestion. It can occur at any level distal to the duodenum of the small intestine and is a medical emergency....
    .


  • It is used by many libraries for preserving books by reacting with ambient moisture to dry the book storage areas.


  • It is used as one of the raw materials for making cement in dry process plants; specifically Portland cement. If too much is added, the cement may be expansive.


  • It is used as an insulator in industrial cables
    Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable

    Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable is a variety of electrical cable made from copper conductors inside a copper sheath, insulated by inorganic magnesium oxide powder....
    .


  • It is used as a basic refractory
    Refractory

    A refractory material is one that retains its strength at high temperatures. ASTM International C71 defines refractories as "non-metallic materials having those chemical and physical properties that made them applicable for structures, or as components of systems, that are exposed to environments above 1000 ?F "....
     material for crucible
    Crucible

    A crucible is a heat-resistant container in which materials can be heated to very high temperatures.The use of crucibles to manufacture Crucible steel, introduced in England in the eighteenth century, was an important part of the Industrial Revolution....
    s.


  • It is used as a principal ingredient in construction materials used for fireproofing.


  • It is used by rock climbers as a way to reduce sweat and moisture on hands and holds.


  • It is used as a reference white color in colorimetry
    Colorimetry

    Colorimetrycan refer to:* the quantitative study of color perception. It is similar to spectrophotometry, but may be distinguished by its interest in reducing spectra to tristimulus values, from which the perception of color derives....
    , owing to its good diffusing and reflectivity
    Reflectivity

    In photometry and heat transfer, reflectivity is the fraction of incident radiation Reflection by a surface. In general it must be treated as a directional property that is a function of the reflected direction, the incident direction, and the incident wavelength....
     properties. It may be smoked onto the surface of an opaque material to form an integrating sphere
    Integrating sphere

    An Integrating sphere is an optical component consisting of a hollow cavity with its interior coated for high diffuse reflection reflectivity , having relatively small holes as needed for entrance and exit ports....
    .


  • It is used as an insulator in devices that exhibit the tunnel magnetoresistance
    Tunnel magnetoresistance

    In physics, the tunnel magnetoresistance effect , occurs when a current flows between two ferromagnets separated by a thin nonconductor. Then the total electrical resistance of the device, in which quantum tunnelling is responsible for electrical current flowing, changes with the relative orientation of the two magnetic layers....
     effect.


  • It is used extensively in electrical heating as a component of "CalRod"-styled heating element
    Heating element

    A heating element converts electricity into heat through the process of Joule heating. Electric current through the element encounters electrical resistance, resulting in heating of the element....
    s. There are several mesh sizes available and most commonly used ones are 40 and 80 mesh per the American Foundry Society
    American Foundry Society

    The American Foundry Society traces its roots to 1896 when the American Foundrymen's Association was formed. The Association was subsequently named The American Foundrymen's Society, and later the name was shortened to the American Foundry Society, sometimes shortened to AFS....
    . The extensive use is due to its high dielectric strength and average thermal conductivity. MgO is usually crushed and compacted with minimal airgaps or voids. The electrical heating industry also experimented with aluminium oxide
    Aluminium oxide

    Aluminium oxide is an amphoteric oxide of aluminium with the chemical formula 23. It is also commonly referred to as alumina or aloxite in the mining, ceramic and materials science communities....
    , but it is not used anymore.


  • It is used in feeding animals and there are special grades available.


  • An industrial use of magnesium oxide is in leather processing, as a basifying agent on chrome tanning process.


  • Pressed MgO is used as an optical material. It is transparent from 300 nm to 7 µm. The refractive index
    Refractive index

    The refractive index of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light is reduced inside the medium. For example, typical soda-lime glass has a refractive index of 1.5, which means that in glass, light travels at times the speed of light in a vacuum....
     is 1.72 at 1 µm and the Abbe number
    Abbe number

    In physics and optics, the Abbe number, also known as the V-number or constringence of a Transparency material, is a measure of the material's dispersion in relation to the refractive index....
     is 53.58. It is sometimes known by the Eastman Kodak
    Eastman Kodak

    Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational corporation public company which produces imaging and photography materials and equipment. Long known for its wide range of photographic film products, Kodak is re-focusing on two major markets: digital photography and digital printing....
     trademarked name Irtran-5, although this designation is long since obsolete. Crystalline pure MgO is available commercially and has small use in infrared optics.


  • It is packed around transuranic waste
    Transuranic waste

    Transuranic waste is defined as:Waste containing more than 100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting transuranic isotopes per gram of waste with half-lives greater than 20 years, except for high-level waste......
     at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
    Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

    The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is the world's third deep geological repository licensed to permanently dispose of Transuranium element radioactive waste for 10000 years that is left from the research and production of nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants....
    , to control the solubility of radionuclides.


  • As a construction material, magnesium oxide wallboards have several attractive characteristics: fire resistance, moisture resistance, mold and mildew resistance, and strength.


Precautions

Inhalation of magnesium oxide fumes can cause metal fume fever
Metal fume fever

Metal fume fever is illness caused primarily by exposure to certain metal fumes. Chemicals such as zinc oxide or magnesium oxide , often cause this through breathing fumes created by heating or welding certain metals, such as galvanized steel....
.

See also

  • Calcium oxide
    Calcium oxide

    Calcium oxide , commonly known as burnt lime, Lime or quicklime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, Caustic and alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature....
  • Barium oxide
    Barium oxide

    Barium oxide, BaO, is a white hygroscopic chemical compound formed by the burning of barium in oxygen, although it is often formed through the decomposition of other barium compounds....
  • Magnesium sulfide
    Magnesium sulfide

    Magnesium sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula MgS. It is a colorless crystalline material but often is encountered in an impure form that is brown and non-crystalline powder....


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