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Why is hydrochloric acid added to magnesium hydroxide during magnesium processing?

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In the context of magnesium processing, hydrochloric acid is added to magnesium hydroxide to convert it into magnesium chloride.12

This step is a critical part of the industrial extraction process. Magnesium hydroxide is typically precipitated from seawater or brine and then filtered into a slurry. By reacting this hydroxide with hydrochloric acid, manufacturers produce magnesium chloride, which serves as the essential feedstock for the subsequent production of magnesium metal through electrolysis.12