THE USE OF MAGNESIUM METAL has grown significantly in recent years, averaging 7 % annually for the past six years. Its major applications include use in the production of aluminum alloys; for magnesium die cast alloys; in iron desulfuri-zation for the production of high strength steels; in graphite nodularization for production of ductile iron; in the metal reduction industry-primarily for zirconium and titanium production; in chemical applications for the production of Pharmaceuticals, organometallics, and silicone compounds; in electro-chemical applications-primarily as anodes for cathodic protection of ferrous metal structures; for magnesium wrought products, and for magnesium gravity cast parts. The three largest applications-aluminum alloying, die cast magnesium alloys, and iron desulfurization-accounted for almost 90 % of the total world-wide market of 367,000 metric tons in 2000 [1,2].