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The popularity of magnesium alloys in the die-casting industry is essentially the result of the combined effect of three factors: economic benefits, technological maturity, and performance advantages. The two major bottlenecks that have long constrained the development of magnesium alloys - "cost" and "process" - have achieved key breakthroughs in the past two years, enabling the full realization of its lightweighting advantages. 

From "Precious Metal" to "Value-For-Budget Choice": A Fundamental Reversal of Cost Logic

In the past, magnesium alloys were more expensive than aluminum alloys, which was a major obstacle to their large-scale application. However, this situation completely changed in 2024. Starting from the third quarter of 2024, the market price of magnesium has consistently been lower than that of aluminum. From January to August 2025, the average price of magnesium and aluminum was approximately 18,000 yuan/ton and 20,400 yuan/ton respectively. The reversal of prices means that the material cost of parts of the same volume can even be about 30% lower than that of aluminum alloys. Industry analysis suggests that due to the abundant supply of magnesium and the limited production capacity of aluminum, the price ratio of magnesium to aluminum is expected to remain below 1 for a long time, and the cost competitiveness of magnesium alloys has a long-term guarantee. 

Closing the gap: Breakthroughs in semi-solid injection molding technology

A breakthrough at the technical level is equally crucial. The semi-solid injection molding process heats magnesium alloys to a state where both solid and liquid phases coexist before injection, avoiding the intense oxidation that occurs during full liquid injection molding and significantly reducing the risk of combustion during the production process. At the same time, the material utilization rate has increased from 65% in traditional die casting to 90%, and the processing steps have been reduced. By adding elements such as rare earth and zinc, the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys has significantly improved, expanding its application range from past sealed components to large structural parts such as car rear floors and door inner panels. Currently, the tonnage of die casting machines has exceeded 6,000 tons, and integrated die casting has become a reality. 

Performance strength: The ultimate choice for lightweighting

Magnesium alloy, as the "lightest structural metal", has always possessed unparalleled performance advantages. With a density of only 2/3 that of aluminum and 1/4 that of steel, replacing aluminum alloy with magnesium alloy can achieve a weight reduction of over 30%, which is of great significance for improving the range of electric vehicles. Its specific strength is higher than that of aluminum alloy, and it performs exceptionally well in collision energy absorption and structural rigidity. Moreover, the shock absorption and noise reduction performance of magnesium alloy is 25 times that of aluminum alloy, and its electromagnetic shielding performance is improved by 2 times. These characteristics are highly beneficial for the comfort of the vehicle and the reliability of the intelligent system. In the processing stage, the cutting speed of magnesium alloy is 50% higher than that of aluminum alloy, the processing accuracy is 25% higher, the energy consumption is 50% lower, and the mold life is also longer. 

Market landscape: Multiple players entering the market, applications accelerating

The breakthroughs in cost and technology, combined with the strong demand for lightweighting from new energy vehicles, have jointly ignited the magnesium alloy market. Car manufacturers such as CEAS, Xiaomi, SAIC, BYD, and CHN have significantly increased the application of magnesium alloy. CEAS currently uses 20 kilograms of magnesium per vehicle and plans to increase it to 90 kilograms by 2027; SAIC Group's second-generation magnesium alloy electric drive has been put into mass production. Industry leaders such as Baowu Magnesium, Wanfeng Auto, and Xingyuan Zhuomeng are expanding production, and traditional aluminum die-casting manufacturers are also actively entering the magnesium die-casting business. According to industry predictions, the domestic usage of magnesium alloy in new energy vehicles is expected to reach 35 kilograms per vehicle in 2030, with a market space of nearly 38.7 billion yuan. If extended to other fields such as robotics, the long-term market space could even reach hundreds of billions of yuan. 

Today, magnesium alloy die casting is no longer just a concept in the laboratory. It has become an industrial trend that is feasible in terms of cost, technology and performance, and is becoming a key option for achieving lightweighting in industries such as automobiles and robots.