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 perchlorate He sold the magnesium perchlorate to A. H. Thomas Co., now Thomas Scientific, under the trade name Dehydrite. It is used as desiccant to dry gas or air samples, but is no longer advised, for use as a general desiccant, due to hazards inherent in perchlorates. It is dried by heating at 220 °C under vacuum. Magnesium perchlorate is created by the reaction of magnesium hydroxide and perchloric acid. In 2011, a study conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology revealed the presence of magnesium perchlorate on the planet Mars. Being a drying agent, magnesium perchlorate retains water from the