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 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.