Salt Lake City: Livability in the 21st Century

Modernization of the magnesium production process,
completed in 2001, allowed increased operating capacity
and reduced production costs and environmental impact.
This program included developing a high amperage, high
efficiency electrolyzer and installing a proprietary tertiary
cell feed chlorination system, which provided a platform for
economic and volumetric growth.
Producing magnesium from waters of the Great Salt
Lake is challenging, requiring a unique proprietary operating
scheme. In this development, the company achieved
production scale operations of anhydrous recovery of
magnesium—the only production process that recovered
magnesium chloride directly from the original source—
followed by dedicated dehydration and electrolysis of the
material. Other processes used magnesium oxide or magnesium
carbonate feedstock. The anhydrous methodology
allowed superior economic performance and provided a
broad base of co-product opportunities.
Utah’s magnesium production also saw development of the
world’s largest spray dryers, which were used to dehydrate
magnesium chloride from the lake. The process also included
development and optimization of continuous chlorination
reactors for high purity production of molten magnesium
chloride suitable for direct-current electrolysis, resulting in
high efficiency production of magnesium metal.
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, US Magnesium has a
manufacturing site in Tooele County, Utah. Of its 500
employees, 480 work at the manufacturing plant and 20
at corporate headquarters. Overall sales revenue exceeds
$250 million annually. Over thirty major companies
purchase magnesium metal and other industries purchase
co-products from the chemical segment.
Plant output has grown steadily over the forty years of
operations. Major technological advancements completed in
2001 have provided a platform for substantial increases in
production, with the plant currently operating in excess of
70,000 TPY. Future plans provide for the expected escalation
in automotive and aerospace demands for weight reduction.
The company’s energy renewal and conservation efforts generate
over twenty-five percent of its electrical needs through gas
turbine generators used in magnesium chloride dehydration.
US Magnesium President Ron Thayer describes the
company’s business future as optimistic, due to ongoing
demand and market growth for magnesium compounds,
chlorine chemicals, and salts. “We will continue to
provide the highest quality magnesium metal and chloride
chemicals to our customers, utilizing safe, progressive and
responsible production methods,” he says.
An active community partner, US Magnesium helps
support education and extracurricular activities, including
augmented teacher sponsorship in Salt Lake and Tooele
counties, music and sports programs, library funding,
medical research, and senior services.
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R S A L T L A K E C I T Y
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