Magnesium oxide, common name for magnesia, is a colorless or white hygroscopic hard mineral that created naturally as periclase and is an important source of magnesium (see also oxide). It has an empirical formula structure of MgO. It is formed by an ionic bond between one magnesium and one oxygen atom. Magnesium oxide is easily made by burning magnesium ribbon which forms a powder, when magnesium burns it emits a bright white light.

General Description and uses
Magnesium oxide (also known as magnesia) is formed commercially by heating magnesite to 600-800 C, which drives off most of the CO₂. It has good thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity at elevated temperatures. It is used for Refractory applications, water absorbent, catalyst, catalyst support, Magnetron sputtering source, animal feedstuffs, soil fertilizers, special hard cements, gas-scrubbing equipment, and a variety of magnesium chemical products

Cattle feed, paper pulp production, soil fertilizers, sorelcement and grinding wheels, brakelinings, water purification and treatment, slurry treatment, chemical product application, sugar refining, rubber and plastic, glass and enamel and metallurgical application