Removing magnesium parts from a wash system only to find them darkened, pitted, or covered in white corrosion bloom is all too familiar for many manufacturers.
Magnesium is one of the most challenging metals to clean in production environments. Not because it’s difficult to remove the soils, but because the metal itself is uniquely vulnerable. 
Unlike steel or aluminum, magnesium reacts aggressively to many common cleaning chemistries and processes while also being physically softer, making it more susceptible to physical damage. Aggressive spray pressure, tumbling, or abrasive contact can scratch surfaces, ding edges, and cause damage through high-velocity impingement or fretting corrosion. What works safely for steel or titanium can easily damage magnesium components, making both chemistry selection and handling procedures critical.
Magnesium sits high on the reactivity scale. In very mild washing conditions, even in pure water or neutral cleaning solutions, it corrodes rapidly, sometimes developing visible surface attack within minutes of exposure.
This “flash corrosion” occurs when the natural magnesium hydroxide surface film becomes unstable or non-protective, allowing localized electrochemical attack of the metal. The result can be surface darkening, etching, or pitting, depending on the solution chemistry and exposure conditions.
Strong alkalinity protects magnesium. Upon immersion in water, magnesium forms a hydroxide surface film that acts as a barrier against further attack. The stability of this film is primarily controlled by pH, with the most protective behavior occurring in the pH 10.5-12 range. This is the opposite of what works for many materials like aluminum and copper, which are corroded by high alkalinity.
Magnesium is the most anodic common structural metal. When it contacts steel, stainless steel, or copper in a wet environment, it becomes the sacrificial anode in an electrochemical cell. The result is accelerated, localized corrosion at every contact point.
In practical terms, this means steel wash racks, stainless baskets, or even steel wire brushes can cause pitting damage during what should be a routine cleaning cycle.
Detergent selection is a critical decision in magnesium cleaning. The chemistry must accomplish three things simultaneously: remove manufacturing soils, maintain a protective alkaline pH, and avoid attacking the base metal or its coatings.
For magnesium, high alkalinity cleaners are essential. The working pH range for safe magnesium cleaning is approximately 10.5–12, where the detergent maintains that protective hydroxide film while still delivering strong degreasing performance.
AquaVantage® 815 QR-NF and AquaVantage® 515 NF are purpose-engineered to deliver repeatable cleaning performance on magnesium without the surface attack that plagues generic alkaline products. These formulations are built with corrosion inhibitors and balanced alkalinity: aggressive enough to dissolve oils and grease but controlled enough to avoid attacking reactive metals.
Low-foaming formulations, like AquaVantage® 515 NF and AquaVantage® 224, are particularly important in spray washers, where excessive foaming is not tolerated.
Mildly alkaline aerospace cleaners like AquaVantage® 815 GD and AquaVantage® 3887 GD can also provide strong results as long as the solution is well maintained, and the pH and detergent concentrations are closely monitored.
Neutral cleaners, mildly acidic products (including some citrus or bio-based cleaners), and acidic descalers all attack magnesium aggressively. What looks like a gentle, non-hazardous cleaner to a procurement team can be very corrosive to magnesium alloys.
If the data sheet doesn’t explicitly call out magnesium compatibility, assume it will cause problems.
Getting the chemistry right is only half the equation. How you apply that chemistry, and what happens before and after, determines whether you’ll see consistent results or recurring corrosion issues.
Magnesium corrodes rapidly when wetted with inappropriate chemistries. The clock starts ticking the moment parts enter the wash system, and it doesn’t stop until they’re completely dry.
Every minute of dwell time, whether in the cleaning bath, between rinse stages, or air-drying at room temperature, is an opportunity for corrosion to start.
Best practices:
A white powdery corrosion product, typically magnesium carbonate, can form with moisture. As the part dries, the hydroxide film can react with carbon dioxide in the air, producing a visible white bloom.
To fix this, improve rinse quality, accelerate drying with heat and airflow, and reduce time between washing and protective packaging. If bloom appears consistently in specific areas, you likely have trapped water or inadequate air circulation during drying.
Galvanic corrosion is preventable, but only if you design it out of the process. Magnesium must be isolated from more noble metals, like stainless steel and nickel, throughout the wash cycle.
Best practices:
If you see small, distinct pits or corrosion spots appear where parts contact racks, baskets, or other components during washing, you’re likely experiencing galvanic corrosion.
Your next step should be to audit your fixturing and material handling equipment. Replace steel components with polymer or coated alternatives. If this isn’t possible, at least prevent direct metal-to-metal contact with insulating spacers or coatings.
Temperature control matters for cleaning efficiency and corrosion prevention. Heat accelerates both cleaning reactions and corrosion reactions. The goal is to stay within the range where detergent activity is optimized while minimizing thermal acceleration of corrosion.
Best practices:
The products we recommend for magnesium, AquaVantage® 815 QR-NF and AquaVantage® 515 NF, are formulated to maintain stability and inhibitor performance across this temperature range.
Magnesium cleaning isn’t a “set it and forget it” process. Bath chemistry degrades over time as soil loads accumulate and pH drifts, fixturing wears, and process parameters shift. Small changes can have outsized consequences on corrosion rates.
We’re here to provide support that will help you establish robust processes and troubleshoot failures when they occur. Our technical team can:
Cleaning magnesium successfully requires expertise that goes beyond reading a product data sheet. If you’re dealing with recurring corrosion problems, inconsistent results, or quality escapes related to surface condition, we can help you get control of your process.
Contact Brulin’s parts cleaning team to discuss your specific application and learn which products and practices will deliver the reliability you need.
Contributors: Patrick Johnson (Director of Research & Development), & Chris Jones (Global Business Development Manager)
Originally Published: February 12, 2026