Name: Zinc

Symbol: Zn

Atomic number: 30

Atomic weight: 65.409  

Group: Transition metal

Standard state: solid at 298 K

Period in periodic table: 4

Atomic Structure:

Description:

Zinc is used in many things. It is a pale grey-blue. It is metallic. It can be made into many states, but most of the time, the state is solid.

Plating thin layers of Zinc on to Iron or Steel is known as galavanishing and helps to protect the Iron or Steel from corrosion.

Zinc is brittle at room temperature, but is malleable at 100°C to 150°C.

A lot of zinc making is based upon sulphide ores.

Julia Struzyna

2010

History:

Hundreds of years before zinc was known as its own element, zinc ores were used for making brass (a mix of Copper and Zinc). Brass from between 1400-1000 BC has been discovered in Palestine. An alloy containing 87% Zinc was discovered in prehistoric ruins in Transylvania. Metallic zinc was produced in the 13th century in India by reducing Calamine (Zinc carbonate, ZnCO₃) with organic substances like wool.

The metal was found again later in Europe. William Champion set up a Zinc company in Bristol, England, in the 1740s. Other plants were established some years later in Belgium and Silesia.

Isolation:

Zinc is easily accessible commercially so it’s not usually produced in a lab. Most of Zinc production depends upon sulphide ores. The ores are roasted in industry plants to make Zinc Oxide, ZnO. This can be reduced with Carbon to make Zinc a metal.

80% of Zinc mines are underground, usualy found in China, Australia, Peru, Europe and Canada. Though, mines are found in over 50 countries. Zinc is mined in ores that usualy contain 5 -15% Zinc. To purify the ore, it is first crushed, then ground to allow good separation from the other minerals. Usually a Zinc concentrate contains about 55% of Zinc with a little Copper, Lead and Iron. Zinc concentration is usually done in the mine to keep transport costs to smelters as low as possible.