Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg(OH)2. It occurs in nature as the mineral brucite. It is a white solid with low solubility in water (Ksp = 5.61×10−12). Magnesium hydroxide is a common component of antacids, such as milk of magnesia.
Preparation Treating the solution of different soluble magnesium salts with alkaline water induces the precipitation of the solid hydroxide Mg(OH)2:
As Mg2+ is the second most abundant cation present in seawater after Na+, it can be economically extracted directly from seawater by alkalinisation as described above. On an industrial scale, Mg(OH)2 is produced by treating seawater with lime (Ca(OH)2). A volume of 600 m3 (160,000 US gal) of seawater gives about 1 tonne (2,200 lb) of Mg(OH)2. Ca(OH)2 (Ksp = 5.02×10−6) is far more soluble than Mg(OH)2 (Ksp = 5.61×10−12) and dramatically increases the pH value of seawater from 8.2 to 12.5. The less soluble Mg(OH)2 precipitates because of the common ion effect due to the OH− added by the dissolution of Ca(OH)2:
For seawater brines, precipitating agents other than Ca(OH)2 can be utilized, each with their own nuances:
Use of Ca(OH)2 can yield CaSO4 or CaCO3, which reduces the final purity of Mg(OH)2. NH4OH can produce explosive nitrogen trichloride when the brine is used for chlorine production. NaOH as the precipitating agent has longer settling times and is difficult to filter. It has been demonstrated that sodium hydroxide, NaOH, is the better precipitating agent compared to Ca(OH)2 and NH4OH due to higher recovery and purity rates, and the settling and filtration time can be improved at low temperatures and higher concentration of precipitates. Methods involving the use of precipitating agents are typically batch processes. It is also possible to obtain Mg(OH)2 from seawater using electrolysis chambers separated with a cation exchange membrane. This process is continuous, lower-cost, and produces oxygen gas, hydrogen gas, sulfuric acid (if Na2SO4 is used; NaCl can alternatively be used to yield HCl), and Mg(OH)2 of 98% or higher purity. It is crucial to deaerate the seawater to mitigate co-precipitation of calcium precipitates.
Uses
Precursor to MgO Most Mg(OH)2 that is produced industrially, as well as the small amount that is mined, is converted to fused magnesia (MgO). Magnesia is valuable because it is both a poor electrical conductor and an excellent thermal conductor.
Medical Only a small amount of the magnesium from magnesium hydroxide is usually absorbed by the intestine (unless one is deficient in magnesium). However, magnesium is mainly excreted by the kidneys; so long-term, daily consumption of milk of magnesia by someone suffering from kidney failure could lead in theory to hypermagnesemia. Unabsorbed magnesium is excreted in feces; absorbed magnesium is rapidly excreted in urine.
Applications
Antacid As an antacid, magnesium hydroxide is dosed at approximately 0.5–1.5 g in adults and works by simple neutralization, in which the hydroxide ions from the Mg(OH)2 combine with acidic H+ ions (or hydronium ions) produced in the form of hydrochloric acid by parietal cells in the stomach, to produce water.
Laxative As a laxative, magnesium hydroxide is dosed at 5–10 grams (0.18–0.35 oz), and works in a number of ways. First, Mg2+ is poorly absorbed from the intestinal tract, so it draws water from the surrounding tissue by osmosis. Not only does this increase in water content to soften the feces, it also increases the volume of feces in the intestine (intraluminal volume) which naturally stimulates intestinal motility. Furthermore, Mg2+ ions cause the release of cholecystokinin (CCK), which results in intraluminal accumulation of water and electrolytes, and increased intestinal motility. Some sources claim that the hydroxide ions themselves do not play a significant role in the laxative effects of milk of magnesia, as alkaline solutions (i.e., solutions of hydroxide ions) are not strongly laxative, and non-alkaline Mg2+ solutions, like MgSO4, are equally strong laxatives, mole for mole.
History of milk of magnesia
On May 4, 1818, American inventor Koen Burrows received a patent (No. X2952) for magnesium hydroxide. In 1829, Sir James Murray used a "condensed solution of fluid magnesia" preparation of his own design to treat the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Marquess of Anglesey, for stomach pain. This was so successful (advertised in Australia and approved by the Royal College of Surgeons in 1838) that he was appointed resident physician to Anglesey and two subsequent Lords Lieutenant, and knighted. His fluid magnesia product was patented two years after his death, in 1873. The term milk of magnesia was first used by Charles Henry Phillips in 1872 for a suspension of magnesium hydroxide formulated at about 8% w/v. It was sold under the brand name Phillips' Milk of Magnesia for medicinal usage. USPTO registrations show that the terms "Milk of Magnesia" and "Phillips' Milk of Magnesia" have both been assigned to Bayer since 1995. In the UK, the non-brand (generic) name of "Milk of Magnesia" and "Phillips' Milk of Magnesia" is "Cream of Magnesia" (Magnesium Hydroxide Mixture, BP).
As food additive It is added directly to human food, and is affirmed as generally recognized as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration. It is known as E number E528. Magnesium hydroxide is marketed for medical use in the form of chewable tablets, capsules, powder, and as liquid suspensions, which are sometimes flavored. These products are sold as antacids to neutralize stomach acid and relieve indigestion and heartburn. It is also a laxative used to alleviate constipation. As a laxative, the osmotic force of the magnesia acts to draw fluids from the body. High doses can lead to diarrhea and can deplete the body's supply of potassium, sometimes leading to muscle cramps. Some magnesium hydroxide products sold for antacid use (such as Maalox) are formulated to minimize unwanted laxative effects through the inclusion of aluminum hydroxide, which inhibits the contractions of smooth muscle cells in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby counterbalancing the contractions induced by the osmotic effects of the magnesium hydroxide.
Other niche uses Magnesium hydroxide is also a component of antiperspirant.
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