Magnesium the water's bitter taste, but the farmer noticed that the water seemed to heal scratches and rashes. The substance became known as Epsom salts and its fame spread. It was eventually recognized as hydrated magnesium sulfate, ·7. The metal itself was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in England in 1808. He used electrolysis on a mixture of magnesia and mercuric oxide. Antoine Bussy prepared it in coherent form in 1831. Davy's first suggestion for a name was magnium, but the name magnesium is now used. Magnesium is the third-most-commonly-used structural metal, following iron and aluminium. The main applications of
Magnesium perchlorate Magnesium perchlorate Magnesium perchlorate is a powerful oxidizing agent, with the formula Mg(ClO). It is also a superior drying agent for gas analysis. Magnesium perchlorate decomposes at 250 °C. The heat of formation is -568.90 kJ mol. The enthalpy of solution is quite high, so reactions are done in large amounts of water to dilute it. It is sold under the trade name anhydrone. Manufacture of this product on a semi-industrial scale was first performed by G. Frederick Smith in his garage in Urbana Illinois, but later at a permanent facility in Columbus, OH called G. Frederick Smith Chemical Co.