October 31 - November 3, 2004
Element of the Day
Wednesday, October 20
German
Zink, of obscure origin. Metallic zinc was produced in the 13th century A.D.
India by reducing calamine with organic substances such as wool. Centuries
before zinc was recognized as a distinct element, zinc ores were used for making
brass.
Discovered by: The metal was re-discovered in Europe by Marggraf in 1746. He demonstrated that zinc could be obtained by reducing calamine with charcoal.
Uses: The metal is employed to form numerous alloys with other metals. Brass, nickel silver, typewriter metal, commercial bronze, spring bronze, German silver, soft solder, and aluminum solder are some of the more important alloys. An alloy called Prestal(R), consisting of 78 percent zinc and 22 percent aluminum, is reported to be almost as strong as steel and as easy to mold as plastic. The alloy said to be so moldable that it can be molded into form using inexpensive ceramics or cement die casts.
Zinc is also used extensively to galvanize other metals such as iron to prevent corrosion. Zinc oxide is a unique and very useful material for modern civilization. It 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.