Hexahydrate magnesium chloride (MgCl₂·6H₂O), widely known as flake magnesium chloride (brine flakes), is a highly versatile basic inorganic salt. Below are its core industrial applications, combined with product grading by magnesium chloride manufacturers and the unique advantages of flake magnesium chloride.

I. Metallurgical Industry

· Used as a binder for refractory materials and furnace lining construction

· Key raw material for producing No.2 flux and smelting metallic magnesium

· High-purity magnesia for steelmaking furnaces uses magnesium chloride as a precursor

Magnesium chloride manufacturers supply metallurgical-grade products as high-purity anhydrous magnesium chloride (≥90%) or high-purity hexahydrate flakes to meet strict impurity requirements in high-temperature environments.

II. Building Materials Industry (Largest Downstream Market)

Flake magnesium chloride reacts with magnesia (MgO) to form magnesium oxychloride cement, used to produce:

Flake magnesium chloride offers outstanding advantages: high dissolution efficiency, forming stable 518 crystal phase to increase compressive strength by over 30%. High-quality flakes control brine content and avoid efflorescence, extending service life beyond 15 years.

III. Transportation Industry

· Road de-icer: melts ice 2–3 times faster than NaCl, reduces concrete corrosion by 40%

· Remains effective at -15℃ to -20℃

· Liquid form used for anti-icing before winter rainfall

IV. Food Industry

· Brine curdling for tofu: food-grade flake magnesium chloride produces tender, flavorful tofu

· Coagulant for dried tofu, fried tofu (prevents breakage)

· Food additive: dehydrating agent, texture improver, mineral fortifier

· Fermentation aid for Japanese sake

Food-grade flake magnesium chloride must be stored separately by magnesium chloride manufacturers to avoid cross-contamination.

V. Chemical Industry

· Precursor for magnesium salts: MgO, Mg(OH)₂, MgCO₃

· Fuse binder for firecrackers

· Raw material for antifreezes

· Decolorizer for reactive dyes, organic catalysts, magnesium flux & welding agents

VI. Agriculture & Aquaculture

VII. Fire Fighting & Flame Retardancy

· Wood treatment: improves fire resistance and reduces smoke

· Releases chlorine at 118℃ for rapid fire extinguishing

· Filler for fireproof boards, fire shutters, fire partitions

VIII. Environmental Protection & Wastewater Treatment

· Removes total phosphorus by >95% via magnesium ammonium phosphate precipitation

· Nutrient for microorganisms in sewage treatment

· Dust control: absorbs moisture to suppress dust in mines, stadiums

IX. Other Important Fields

Product Grading by magnesium chloride manufacturers & Selection of flake magnesium chloride

Magnesium chloride manufacturers generally grade flake magnesium chloride into three levels by purity and appearance

Take Yuze Chemical as an example: using triple-effect evaporation crystallization and acid synthesis, magnesium chloride manufacturers produce white flake magnesium chloride with stable purity of 46%±0.5%. Flake forming technology dissolves in <3 minutes, 60% faster than powder. For de-icing, it works continuously for 48 hours at -20℃