Magnesium arsenic reduces its corrosion rate in a salt solution by a factor of nearly ten. Research showed that magnesium's tendency to creep at high-temperatures is eliminated by the addition of scandium and gadolinium. Flammability is greatly reduced by a small amount of calcium in the alloy. Magnesium forms a variety of compounds important to industry and biology, including magnesium carbonate, magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia), magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (Epsom salts). Magnesium has three stable isotopes: , and . All are present in significant amounts (see table of isotopes above). About 79%
Magnesium iodide Magnesium iodide Magnesium iodide is the name for the chemical compounds with the formulas MgI and its various hydrates MgI(HO). These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. Magnesium iodide has few commercial uses, but can be used to prepare compounds for organic synthesis. Magnesium iodide can be prepared from magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, and magnesium carbonate by treatment with hydroiodic acid: Magnesium iodide is stable at high heat under a hydrogen atmosphere, but decomposes in air at normal temperatures, turning brown from the release of elemental iodine. When heated in air, it decomposes completely to magnesium