The zinc cream you see
plastered on the faces of children, surfers and cricketers
does not actually contain the refined metal but rather
its precursor, zinc oxide.
Zinc’s main use lies in protecting other metals from corrosion,
so tanks, beams, roofs and fencing wire are coated (or
galvanised) with zinc.
Another major use, combined with a small percentage of
aluminium, is in die castings in the car, electrical and
building industries.
The third largest use of zinc is in brass (an alloy of
copper and zinc) and bronze (an alloy of copper, tin and
zinc).
Zinc powder also has a wide rage of uses in fields that
include lubricants and sealants, the paper and textile
industries, dye stuffs and pharmaceuticals.
The oldest known piece of zinc is an idol from prehistoric
Transylvania, and the Egyptians smelted copper ores containing
zinc to create brass. However, the smelting of zinc originated
in Asia where, since 700AD, malleable zinc has been produced
from ore.
European countries began importing the product in the
early 1600s, but it was not until 1743 that Billy Champion,
of Bristol, England, became the first European to produce
the metal.
Since then, zinc has become an essential element in manufacturing
processes. |
