What is the use of magnesium oxide

Magnesium oxide (chemical formula: MgO) is an oxide of magnesium, an ionic compound. It is a white solid at room temperature. Magnesium oxide exists in nature in the form of periclase, which is the raw material of magnesium smelting.


One of the main uses of MgO is as flame retardant. The traditional flame retardant materials are widely made of halogen-containing polymers or halogen-containing flame retardants. However, in case of fire, due to thermal decomposition and combustion, a large amount of smoke and toxic corrosive gas will be produced, which will hinder the fire fighting and personnel evacuation, corrosion of instruments and equipment.


In particular, it is found that more than 80% of the deaths in fires are caused by the smoke and toxic gases produced by the materials. Therefore, in addition to the flame retardant efficiency, low smoke and low toxicity are also essential indicators of flame retardants. The development of China's flame retardant industry is extremely unbalanced. Chlorine based flame retardants account for a large proportion, ranking first among all flame retardants, among which chlorinated paraffin occupies a monopoly position. However, chlorine based flame retardants release toxic gases, which is far from the non-toxic and efficient pursuit of modern life. Therefore, in order to comply with the development trend of low smoke, low toxicity and pollution-free, the development, production and application of magnesium oxide flame retardant is imperative.