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The mineral magnesium carbonate, more commonly called magnesite, is named for the significant amount of magnesium it contains. It is commercially processed and refined into several different forms, which makes magnesium useful in many different applications. A notable characteristic of magnesia, or magnesium oxide, is that it has an extremely high melting temperature. This makes it a useful refractory material for many processes in steelmaking, metallurgy and ceramics.