Inclusions in molten magnesium and potential assessment techniques

Magnesium has increasingly gained acceptance in structural applications, particularly in the automotive industry. The fast-growing applications of magnesium have led to the generation of a large amount of magnesium scrap, especially die-casting scrap. Due to both economic and environmental concerns, recycling of these scraps is imperatively demanded. In order to yield high-quality recycled magnesium, the characteristics of inclusions in molten magnesium have to be identified, and techniques to evaluate the cleanliness of molten magnesium must be developed. This article reviews recent developments in characterizing inclusions and assessing the cleanliness of molten metals. The potential application of these techniques to molten magnesium is also discussed.