784 MINERALS YEARBOOK

New magnesium ingot produced in the United States and sold or used by the
producer, 19f~8—32
~.*
°~
Produced
(pounds)
Sold or used by the
producer
Pounds Value

1928                                                   
1929                                                 
1930                                                 
1931                                                 
521,075
1,329,669
1, 173, 557
(1)
(1)
530,782
908,351
559,631
580,463
791,699
$289, 658
512,313
268,864
199,633
228,653
1932                                                 



1 Figures not available.


Magnesium products other than ingot magnesium manufactured and sold or used
by
producers in the United States, 19f~8—3~, in pounds
Product
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
Alloy ingot                                

Castings                                  
Powder and shavings                        
Wire and ribbon                            
Rod and ttibingl 
Sheet                                     
Other 2                                   

Total                                
16,210
13,145
12,297
65,314
128,751

55,861
28, 104
7,695
719
8,425
20,218
116,350
36,663
7,736
1,864
8,512
12,051
99,443
30,832
7,898
115
1,348
13,558
127,398
23,924
2,906
194
9,433
26,945
132,049
19,825
4,650
171
17,796
39, 106

121,022
183,176
153,194
190,800
213,597
1 Exclusive of extruded rods or ingots sold for metallurgical purposes.
2 Includes forgings, extruded shapes, etc.


 Uses.—Progress in the fabrication of magnesium and its alloys featured
1932. The average weight of sand castings advanced from 1 to 3 pounds, and
castings as large as 150 pounds have been made successfully. The combined
lightness and strength of magnesiumbase alloys have led to their use in the
manufacture of aircraft, motionpicture machines, quick-oscillating machinery
such as bread slicers, high-speed cutting lathes, pneumatic tools, portable
typewriters, ticket-vending equipment, and textile-machine parts. Castings
have entered the low-price automobile field on an experimental basis, while
sheet and extruded structural shapes including standard 5-inch I-beams weighing
about 2.5 pounds per foot are being used in bus, truck, and trailer construction.
The use of magnesium alloys in foundry flask, patterns, and core boxes has
also increased.
 The die-casting of alloys specially developed for this purpose made marked
progress during 1932. The claim is made that while the cost of producing
die castings from these magnesium alloys is not as low as from aluminum,
it is considerably below that of any other foundry method.
 The commercial progress of magnesium-base alloy as an engineering material
is indicated by new specifications added by the American Society for Testing
Materials covering "Magnesium-base alloy sheet" and "Magnesium-base alloy
wrought shapes other than sheet."
 In the nonstructural field ribbon and wire sales recovered much of the loss
in 1931, but sales of powder continued to decline due to decreased Government
purchases.
 Imports.—Imports of magnesium amounted to 182,939 pounds, valued at
$54,448, in 1922, but subsequently they have dwindled to