ZINC

Characteristics
- in its pure form, zinc has only one major use: to galvanize iron and steel
- galvanizing: steel is acid-cleaned and coated with a layer of zinc either by
dipping it into a bath of molten metal or by electroplating
- excellent corrosion resistance
- accounts for about 35% of all zinc used
Good tensile strength, better corrosion resistance, exceptional impact resistance
* Greater strength compared with other die cast metals except copper-based
alloys
* Can be cast close to dimensional limits with extremely thin sections
* Can be machined at a minimum cost

Application
Zinc based alloys
i. Zn Pb: drawn battery cans , fuse links and parts of sewing machine.
ii. Zn Pb Cd ( Cadmium ): drawn battery cans
iii. Zn Cu: covers for electronics and mobile communications.
iv. Primarily used in the form of die casting and forging. Zinc is selected as
alloying element in casting because of its:
* Ability to retain low melting point while substantially increasing strength and
toughness
* High fluidity - i e. they are thin-bodied in the molten state and fill up
complicated moulds very well in die casting
* Good dimensional stability - the outer layer of the molten metal freezes rapidly
in the mould and becomes solid, subsequent machining is generally unnecessary