Magnesium silicide

Magnesium silicide
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name Magnesium silicide
Identifiers
CAS Number	22831-39-6 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChemSpider	81111 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.041.125
EC Number	245-254-5;
PubChem CID	89858;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID4066830 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/2Mg.Si Key: YTHCQFKNFVSQBC-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; InChI=1/2Mg.Si/rMg2Si/c1-3-2 Key: YTHCQFKNFVSQBC-GEBTXNJDAA;
	SMILES [Mg]=[Si]=[Mg];
Properties
Chemical formula	Mg2Si
Molar mass	76.695 g·mol−1
Density	1.988 g cm−3
Melting point	1,102 °C (2,016 °F; 1,375 K)
Hazards
	Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards	reacts with water to give silane
Related compounds
Other cations	Calcium silicide
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Magnesium silicide, Mg₂Si, is an inorganic compound consisting of magnesium and silicon. As a powder magnesium silicide is dark blue or slightly purple in color.

Synthesis

The reaction of powdered sand with magnesium powder.

It can be produced by heating silicon dioxide, SiO₂, found in sand, with excess magnesium. The process first forms silicon metal and magnesium oxide, and, if an excess of magnesium is used, the silicide is formed:

2 Mg + SiO₂ → 2 MgO + Si

If an excess of Mg is present, Mg₂Si is formed from the reaction of the remaining magnesium with the silicon:

2 Mg + Si → Mg₂Si

These reactions proceed exothermically.^[1]

Uses

Magnesium silicide is used to create aluminium alloys of the 6000 series, containing up to approximately 1.5% Mg₂Si. An alloy of this group can be age-hardened to form Guinier-Preston zones and a very fine precipitate, both resulting in increased strength of the alloy.^[2]

Reactions

The reaction of magnesium silicide with 10% hydrochloric acid.

Magnesium silicide can be viewed as consisting of Si⁴⁻ ions. As such it is reactive toward acids. Thus, when magnesium silicide is treated with hydrochloric acid, silane, SiH₄ is produced:

Mg₂Si + 4 HCl → SiH₄ + 2 MgCl₂

Sulfuric acid can be used as well. These protonolysis reactions are typical of a Group 2 and Group 1 silicides.

Crystal Structure

Mg₂Si crystallizes in the antifluorite structure. In the face-centered cubic lattice Si centers occupy the corners and face-centered positions of the unit cell and Mg centers occupy eight tetrahedral sites in the interior of the unit cell. The coordination numbers of Si and Mg are eight and four, respectively.^[3]

References

^ P. Ehrlich "Alkaline Earth Metals" in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Edited by G. Brauer, Academic Press, 1963, NY. Vol. 1. p. 920.
^ ASM Handbook, 10th Ed., Vol. 1, Properties and Selection: Non-ferrous Alloys and Special Purpose Materials, 1990, ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio.
^ A. Kato et al. J. Phys: Condens. Matter 21 (2009) 205801.

[brauer-1] P. Ehrlich "Alkaline Earth Metals" in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Edited by G. Brauer, Academic Press, 1963, NY. Vol. 1. p. 920.

[2] ASM Handbook, 10th Ed., Vol. 1, Properties and Selection: Non-ferrous Alloys and Special Purpose Materials, 1990, ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio.

[3] A. Kato et al. J. Phys: Condens. Matter 21 (2009) 205801.

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