what is it really? someone plz help me woth this one.

microplasmic oxidation to encase the alloy in a purified ceramic polymer and seal it at the molecular level. The technique is not without risk. Magnesium ignites and burns with a brilliant white light.The metal is safe at normal temperatures but dangerously combustible at the extreme temperatures of production.


Basically coating plastic with magnesium. You can not have pure magnesium for frames... Try it and get them wet.

Actually, this process refers to coating magnesium with a thin layer of ceramic to "seal" the metal against corrosion.

This is why the Mag frames deteriorate when the ceramic coating is scratched/chipped/etc. Since Mg is so reactive, it corrodes very quickly when exposed to the elements.

The Mag frames are solid magnesium... they are just encased in a thin ceramic layer. As far as I know, there is no plastic in the frame other than perhaps the little bumpers to keep the earstems from hitting the orbitals when folded.

Read this article:

http://expn.go.com/lifestyle/s/oaksw.html

scott, it's coating magnesium with ceramic. you're right, you can't have a pure magnesium frame. it has to be covered by something to protect the reactive core. that's why magwheels are coated. imagine the fun if they weren't coated: driving in the rain would be a disaster.

for oakley, the highly reactive magnesium frame bits are essentially anodized using a micro-arc method that doesn't have the pores that traditional anodizing methods.

here's the brief of the patent on the technology:

A process and apparatus for forming oxide coatings on bodies of aluminum and aluminum alloys are described. The process includes forming an electrolyte bath in an inert container. At least two reactive metal bodies are suspended in the bath. The bodies are connected to electrodes which, in turn, are connected to a multiphase AC circuit. A multiphase power (preferably three-phase between three bodies) potential is imposed between each of the bodies. The bodies are moved in the electrolyte bath relative to each other until micro-arcs occur on the surfaces of the bodies, whereby to commence oxidation of the bodies. The imposition of the potential between each of the bodies is continued until the desired thickness of oxide is formed on the bodies.

as a side note: I'm pretty sure the microplasmic part refers to the company that invented the process rather than the nature of the process which they refer to as a microarc process. the trade name is the Microplasmic Process

Check this out from back in the day. I found it before the Mag line was released and had no idea what was going to come of it:

http://www.finishing.com/71/52.shtml

crazy stuff there...

the reason for it ... like said above... pure mag is corrosive even against itsself(air will corrode it) ... thats why most mag is Magnesium-oxside... a composite will have less corrosive properties .... but pure mag .. being the 8th most obundant material on the planet has many more benifiets... unfortunately VERY hard to use in a manufactuering and Very difficult to mold(being it begins to cool while being injected), and try to put lense in and out of a switch ..impossible.( almost)
the nice thing about the ceramic coating is it works well with the current properties that are inherent in mag in the first place, try putting a pair of mags on your dash and then an X-metal ...on a sunny day, .. then after about 10 minutes take then off ... feel how much faster the mag will disapate heat... not to mention the strenth to weight ratio... but i will go on and on about that( like i havent already) anyways there is some mag tech for you.

I liked blowing it up in chemistry class...