Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal. It is brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable at 100 to 150 o C. It is a fair conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red heat with evolution of white clouds of the oxide. Combined with other elements as ores, Zinc is found in nature.It has unusual electrical, thermal, optical, and solid-state properties that have not been fully investigated. The metal is employed to form numerous alloys with other metals. Brass, nickel silver, commercial bronze, soft solder, and aluminum solder are some of the more important alloys. Large quantities of zinc are used to produce die castings, which are used extensively by the automotive, electrical, and hardware industries. Zinc is also used extensively to galvanize other metals such as iron to prevent corrosion. Zinc oxide is widely used in the manufacture of paints, rubber products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, floor coverings, plastics, printing inks, soap, storage batteries, textiles, electrical equipment, and other products. Zinc sulfide is used in making luminous dials, X-ray and TV screens, and fluorescent lights The chloride and chromate are also important compounds. Zinc is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.9999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder.
The element name Zinc originates from the German word 'zin" meaning tin.
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Zinc facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Zinc is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Zinc is a Block D, Group 12, Period 4 element. The number of electrons in each of Zinc's shells is 2, 8, 18, 2, and its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d10 4s2. In its elemental form zinc's CAS number is 7440-66-6. The zinc atom has a radius of 133.5.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 139.pm.
All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Zinc compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Zinc was first discovered by Andreas Marggraf in 1746.
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Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of zinc and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
Isotope
Atomic Mass
% Abundance on Earth
Zn-64
63.929147
48.6
Zn-66
65.926037
27.9
Zn-67
66.927131
4.1
Zn-68
67.924848
18.8
Zn-70
69.925325
0.6
The following table shows the abundance of Zinc present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
Typical Human Body
Universe
by Weight
33000 ppb
300 ppb
by Atom
3200 ppb
6 ppb
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for zinc metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Zinc compounds have several important biological roles. Zinc is a key element of many enzymes and the hormone insulin also contains zinc. Zinc also plays an essential role in sexual maturation and reproduction. A deficiency of zinc can result in stunted growth and male sexual immaturity.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for zinc (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
1st Ionization Energy
906.41 kJ mol-1
2nd Ionization Energy
1733.31 kJ mol-1
3rd Ionization Energy
3832.71 kJ mol-1
Conductivity. As to zinc's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 5.96 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.65. The thermal conductivity of zinc is 116 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for zinc are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
Heat of Fusion
6.67 kJ mol-1
Heat of Vaporization
114.2 kJ mol-1
Heat of Atomization
130.181 kJ mol-1
Recent Research & Development for Zinc
Loss of BRCA1-A Complex Function in RAP80 Null Tumor Cells.
Bian C, Wu R, Cho K, Yu X.
PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40406. Epub 2012 Jul 6.
PMID:
22792303
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
CCCH-Type Zinc Finger Family in Maize: Genome-Wide Identification, Classification and Expression Profiling under Abscisic Acid and Drought Treatments.
Peng X, Zhao Y, Cao J, Zhang W, Jiang H, Li X, Ma Q, Zhu S, Cheng B.
PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40120. Epub 2012 Jul 6.
PMID:
22792223
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
IL-1beta Signals through the EGF Receptor and Activates Egr-1 through MMP-ADAM.
Sanchez-Guerrero E, Chen E, Kockx M, An SW, Chong BH, Khachigian LM.
PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e39811. Epub 2012 Jul 6.
PMID:
22792188
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
Suppression of Bmp4 signaling by the zinc-finger repressors Osr1 and Osr2 is required for Wnt/ß-catenin-mediated lung specification in Xenopus.
Rankin SA, Gallas AL, Neto A, Gómez-Skarmeta JL, Zorn AM.
Development. 2012 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791896
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
A SHORT INTERNODES (SHI) family transcription factor gene regulates awn elongation and pistil morphology in barley.
Yuo T, Yamashita Y, Kanamori H, Matsumoto T, Lundqvist U, Sato K, Ichii M, Jobling SA, Taketa S.
J Exp Bot. 2012 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791834
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Protein Kinase D1 mediates anchorage-dependent and independent growth of tumor cells via the zinc-finger transcription factor Snail1.
Eiseler T, Koehler C, Nimmagadda SC, Jamali A, Funk N, Joodi G, Storz P, Seufferlein T.
J Biol Chem. 2012 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791710
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free Article
Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Porphyrin Conjugates as Broadly Absorbing Sensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.
Warnan J, Favereau L, Meslin F, Severac M, Blart E, Pellegrin Y, Jacquemin D, Odobel F.
ChemSusChem. 2012 Jul 12. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201100764. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791585
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Toward Ultralow-Bandgap Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors: Use of Triply Fused Metalloporphyrin Trimer-Pentamer as Extra-large p-Extended Mesogenic Motifs.
Tanaka S, Sakurai T, Honsho Y, Saeki A, Seki S, Kato K, Takata M, Osuka A, Aida T.
Chemistry. 2012 Jul 12. doi: 10.1002/chem.201201101. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791554
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Insights into the Temperature-Dependent "Breathing" of a Flexible Fluorinated Metal-Organic Framework.
Fernandez CA, Thallapally PK, Liu J, Exarhos GJ.
Chemphyschem. 2012 Jul 12. doi: 10.1002/cphc.201200243. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791542
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Complexation of divalent metal ions with diols in the presence of anion auxiliary ligands: zinc-induced oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolaldehyde by consecutive hydride ion and proton shifts.
Ruttink PJ, Dekker LJ, Luider TM, Burgers PC.
J Mass Spectrom. 2012 Jul;47(7):869-74. doi: 10.1002/jms.3039.
PMID:
22791254
[PubMed - in process]
Mammalian metallothioneins: properties and functions.
Babula P, Masarik M, Adam V, Eckschlager T, Stiborova M, Trnkova L, Skutkova H, Provaznik I, Hubalek J, Kizek R.
Metallomics. 2012 Jul 13. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791193
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Neurochemical Characterization of Zinc Transporter 3-Like Immunoreactive (ZnT3(+)) Neurons in the Intramural Ganglia of the Porcine Duodenum.
Wojtkiewicz J, Gonkowski S, Równiak M, Crayton R, Majewski M, Jalynski M.
J Mol Neurosci. 2012 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22791190
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Occurrence of multidrug-resistant and toxic-metal tolerant enterococci in fresh feces from urban pigeons in Brazil.
da Silva VL, Caçador NC, da Silva Cdos S, Fontes CO, Garcia GD, Nicoli JR, Diniz CG.
Microbes Environ. 2012;27(2):179-85.
PMID:
22791051
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Investigation of Mechanochemically Processed Silver Doped ZnO Nanoparticles.
Talari MK, Abdul Majeed AB, Tripathi DK, Tripathy M.
Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2012;60(7):818-24.
PMID:
22790812
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
Estimated equilibrated dietary intakes for nine minerals (na, k, ca, mg, p, fe, zn, cu, and mn) adjusted by mineral balance medians in young Japanese females.
Nishimuta M, Kodama N, Shimada M, Yoshitake Y, Matsuzaki N, Morikuni E.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2012;58(2):118-28.
PMID:
22790570
[PubMed - in process]
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Influence of core-finishing intervals on tensile strength of cast posts-and-cores luted with zinc phosphate cement.
Iglesias MA, Mesquita GC, Pereira AG, Dantas LC, Raposo LH, Soares CJ, Mota AS.
Braz Oral Res. 2012 Aug;26(4):378-83.
PMID:
22790502
[PubMed - in process]
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Evaluation of electrochemical generation of volatile zinc hydride by heated quartz tube atomizer atomic absorption spectrometry.
Arbab-Zavar MH, Chamsaz M, Youssefi A, Aliakbari M.
Anal Sci. 2012;28(7):717-22.
PMID:
22790376
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
Resolution of Cranial MRI and SPECT Abnormalities in a Patient with Wilson's Disease Following Oral Zinc Monotherapy.
Ishida S, Doi Y, Yamane K, Sugino M, Kimura F, Hanafusa T, Fukui H, Tamai H.
Intern Med. 2012;51(13):1759-63. Epub 2012 Jul 1.
PMID:
22790141
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
Photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopic investigation on a H(+) irradiated ZnO single crystal.
Sarkar A, Chakrabarti M, Sanyal D, Bhowmick D, Dechoudhury S, Chakrabarti A, Rakshit T, Ray SK.
J Phys Condens Matter. 2012 Jul 12;24(32):325503. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22790024
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Imaging of stroke: a comparison between X-ray fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging methods.
Zheng W, Haacke EM, Webb SM, Nichol H.
Magn Reson Imaging. 2012 Jul 10. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22789844
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal. It is brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable at 100 to 150 o C. It is a fair conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red heat with evolution of white clouds of the oxide. Combined with other elements as ores, Zinc is found in nature.It has unusual electrical, thermal, optical, and solid-state properties that have not been fully investigated. The metal is employed to form numerous alloys with other metals. Brass, nickel silver, commercial bronze, soft solder, and aluminum solder are some of the more important alloys. Large quantities of zinc are used to produce die castings, which are used extensively by the automotive, electrical, and hardware industries. Zinc is also used extensively to galvanize other 
Zinc 
Zink 
Zinco
Zinco
Cinc 
Zink 
