Add arsenic to magnesium to make it stainless Monash University rightOriginal StudyPosted by Emily Walker-Monash on August 19 2013MONASH U. (AUS)  � Adding a little arsenic to magnesium slows down the metal s corrosion rate paving the way for a more lightweight material for cars and electronics.     Weighing in at two thirds less than aluminum magnesium is the lightest structural metal. But the usefulness of the metal is severely restricted by its poor resistance to corrosion. Research efforts to develop lighter metals have explored way to create a stainless or corrosion-resistant form of magnesium.A team led by Nick Birbilis an associate professor of materials engineering at Monash University found that the addition of very low levels of arsenic to magnesium retards the corrosion reaction by effectively  �poisoning � the reaction before it completes.The discovery Birbilis notes would contribute to the birth of more stainless magnesium products by exploiting cathodic poisons. The findings are reported in the journal Electrochemistry Communications. �In an era of light-weighting for energy and emissions reductions there is a great demand for magnesium alloys in everything from portable electronics to air and land transportation � Birbilis says. �Magnesium products are rapidly evolving to meet the demands of industry but presently are hindered by high corrosion rates. The arsenic effect we discovered is now being trialed as a functional additive to existing commercial alloys. �Our breakthrough will help develop the next generation of magnesium products which must be more stainless. �Source: Monash UniversityYou are free to share this article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.