September 19, 2013

Fuel-efficient cars & planes cheaper with magnesium drawn from ocean

click on image to enlarge

PNNL's new Mg production process to lower cost, energy use and emissions

A lightweight metal that reduces fuel use in cars and planes could be extracted from the ocean through a unique process being developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The process could ultimately make fuel-efficient transportation more affordable and expand the American magnesium market.

PNNL is leading a $2.7 million, three-year project to develop a novel method that removes naturally occurring magnesium from seawater. The project was announced today by DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, also known as ARPA-E.