Smelting Magnesium Metal using a Microwave Pidgeon Method

Yuji Wada; Satoshi Fujii; Eiichi Suzuki; Masato M. Maitani; Shuntaro Tsubaki; Satoshi Chonan; Miho Fukui; Naomi Inazu

doi:10.1038/srep46512

Smelting Magnesium Metal using a Microwave Pidgeon Method

Yuji Wada, Satoshi Fujii, Eiichi Suzuki, Masato M. Maitani, Shuntaro Tsubaki, Satoshi Chonan, Miho Fukui, Naomi Inazu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) is a lightweight metal with applications in transportation and sustainable battery technologies, but its current production through ore reduction using the conventional Pidgeon process emits large amounts of CO₂ and particulate matter (PM2.5). In this work, a novel Pidgeon process driven by microwaves has been developed to produce Mg metal with less energy consumption and no direct CO₂ emission. An antenna structure consisting of dolomite as the Mg source and a ferrosilicon antenna as the reducing material was used to confine microwave energy emitted from a magnetron installed in a microwave oven to produce a practical amount of pure Mg metal. This microwave Pidgeon process with an antenna configuration made it possible to produce Mg with an energy consumption of 58.6 GJ/t, corresponding to a 68.6% reduction when compared to the conventional method.

Original language	English
Article number	46512
Journal	Scientific reports
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46512
Publication status	Published - Apr 12 2017
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/srep46512

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abstract = "Magnesium (Mg) is a lightweight metal with applications in transportation and sustainable battery technologies, but its current production through ore reduction using the conventional Pidgeon process emits large amounts of CO2 and particulate matter (PM2.5). In this work, a novel Pidgeon process driven by microwaves has been developed to produce Mg metal with less energy consumption and no direct CO2 emission. An antenna structure consisting of dolomite as the Mg source and a ferrosilicon antenna as the reducing material was used to confine microwave energy emitted from a magnetron installed in a microwave oven to produce a practical amount of pure Mg metal. This microwave Pidgeon process with an antenna configuration made it possible to produce Mg with an energy consumption of 58.6 GJ/t, corresponding to a 68.6% reduction when compared to the conventional method.",

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AU - Wada, Yuji

AU - Fujii, Satoshi

AU - Suzuki, Eiichi

AU - Maitani, Masato M.

AU - Tsubaki, Shuntaro

AU - Chonan, Satoshi

AU - Fukui, Miho

AU - Inazu, Naomi

PY - 2017/4/12

Y1 - 2017/4/12

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AB - Magnesium (Mg) is a lightweight metal with applications in transportation and sustainable battery technologies, but its current production through ore reduction using the conventional Pidgeon process emits large amounts of CO2 and particulate matter (PM2.5). In this work, a novel Pidgeon process driven by microwaves has been developed to produce Mg metal with less energy consumption and no direct CO2 emission. An antenna structure consisting of dolomite as the Mg source and a ferrosilicon antenna as the reducing material was used to confine microwave energy emitted from a magnetron installed in a microwave oven to produce a practical amount of pure Mg metal. This microwave Pidgeon process with an antenna configuration made it possible to produce Mg with an energy consumption of 58.6 GJ/t, corresponding to a 68.6% reduction when compared to the conventional method.

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Smelting Magnesium Metal using a Microwave Pidgeon Method

Abstract

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