ZINC

AS BUILDING MATERIAL
114AR0023 | JESU BIPIN CHOWDARY | DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
AND ARCHITECTURE | NITR
INTRODUCTON
Zinc is a chemical element with symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It
makes up about 75 ppm (0.0075%) of Earth's crust, making it the 24th
most abundant element. It is usually a silvery-white metal with a blue
tinge.

Other source of minerals for zinc include smithsonite (zinc carbonate),

hemimorphite (zinc silicate), wurtzite (zinc sulphide), and sometimes
hydrozincite (basic zinc carbonate).

Various isolated examples of the use of impure zinc in ancient times have
been discovered. Zinc ores were used to make the zinc–copper alloy brass
thousands of years prior to the discovery of zinc as a separate element. Coin made with Judean brass
Judean brass from the 14th to 10th centuries BC contains 23% zinc.

Knowledge of how to produce brass spread to Ancient Greece by the 7th

century BC, but only few varieties were made. Ornaments made of alloys
containing 80–90% zinc, with lead, iron, antimony, and other metals
making up the remainder, have been found that are 2,500 years old.
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MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ZINC
MINING
Zinc ores are dug from underground mines using conventional blasting, drilling, and hauling
techniques. The ores occur as zinc sulfide (also called sphalerite), zinc carbonate
(smithsonite), zinc silicate (calimine), and in compounds of manganese and iron (franklinite).

Drilling zinc and lead ore in the Black Mountain

Mine in the Northern Cape, South Africa.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ZINC
FROTH FLOTATION
This process involves grinding the zinc ore to a fine
powder, mixing it with water, pine oil, and flotation
chemicals, and then agitating the mixture to "float"
the zinc to the surface. A variety of chemicals are used
to coat the important zinc particles and prevent them
from becoming wetted by the water. Then air is
injected, Zinc attach themselves to the bubbles. The
operation is performed inside a vat and agitated with
an impeller. The rotating impeller draws the air down
the standpipe that surrounds the impeller shaft and Schematic diagram of a flotation separation cell
dissipates it throughout the mixture or "pulp." The
zinc rises to the top and the residue stays in the
bottom of the pulp, since it cannot adhere to the
bubbles. Automatic scrapers remove the mineral-
laden froth containing the zinc.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ZINC
FILTERING
The froth is filtered to remove the water and liquid oils. The paste-like remainder is mixed with
lime and sent to a furnace. The furnace roasts the mixture at 2500°F (1371°C), which fuses the
minerals into solid chunks called sinter. At this point, the material has been completely
converted to zinc oxide.
SMELTING
Zinc smelting is the process of converting zinc concentrates (ores that contain zinc) into pure
zinc. Zinc smelting has historically been more difficult than the smelting of other metals, e.g.
iron, because in contrast, zinc has a low boiling point. At temperatures typically used for
smelting metals, zinc is a gas that will escape from a furnace with the flue gas and be lost, unless
specific measures are taken to prevent it.
The blast furnace is fuelled by electricity, coke, or natural gas, which generate temperatures of
up to 2200°F (1204°C). This, however, also generates carbon dioxide, which recombines with the
zinc as it cools to re-form zinc oxide. To reduce this reformation, the zinc is sprayed with molten
lead while it is still hot. The lead, at 1022°F (550°C), dissolves the zinc and carries it to another
chamber, where it is cooled to 824°F (440°C). At this temperature, the lighter zinc separates out
of the lead and is drained off the top. The lead is reheated and returned to the blast furnace.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ZINC
REFINING
Further metal improvement can be made by keeping the zinc molten and undisturbed for
several hours. In this state, iron and other contaminants settle to the bottom, allowing the
almost pure zinc to be carefully drawn off the top and cast into ingots.

ALLOYING
Most zinc is alloyed with other metals before use to improve its properties. Alloying involves
re-melting and mixing the zinc with other metals in precise proportions. For example,
approximately 4% aluminium is added to improve casting quality and die life in the die-casting
process. Other added alloys are small amounts of titanium, copper, and magnesium. After
alloying, the molten metal is poured into moulds.
BENEFITS OF USING ZINC IN CONSTRUCTION
Durability and Corrosion Resistance
Long before the advanced alloys of today, especially in the unforgiving climates of northern
Europe, zinc roofs were prized for their longevity, resistance to corrosion, low maintenance,
relative light weight and the workability

Availability and Workability

Most zinc is alloyed with other metals before use to improve its properties. Alloying involves
re-melting and mixing the zinc with other metals in precise proportions. For example,
approximately 4% aluminium is added to improve casting quality and die life in the die-casting
process. Other added alloys are small amounts of titanium, copper, and magnesium. After
alloying, the molten metal is poured into moulds.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Strength: Zinc is a weak metal with a tensile strength less than half that of mild carbon steel. It
is generally not used in load-bearing applications, although inexpensive mechanical parts can
be die cast from zinc.

Toughness: Pure zinc has low toughness and is generally brittle, but zinc alloys generally have
high impact strength compared to other die casting alloys.

Ductility: Between 212-302 F zinc becomes ductile and malleable, but at elevated
temperatures reverts to a brittle state. Again, zinc alloys greatly improve on this property over
the pure metal, allowing more complex fabrication methods to be used.

Conductivity: Zinc’s conductivity is moderate for a metal. Its strong electrochemical properties,
however, serve well in the galvanizing process and alkaline batteries.
BENEFITS OF USING ZINC IN CONSTRUCTION
Considered as a sustainable product
Zinc ranks as the 24th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It exists naturally in air,
water, and soil. Most rocks and many minerals contain zinc in varying degrees. It is relatively
easy to mine.

A big sustainability advantage for zinc over other metals is that it takes much less energy to
refine zinc than aluminium, copper, or stainless steel. For instance, the energy required to
produce zinc from ore is a quarter of that needed to make aluminium and half of that needed
for copper and steel.

zinc is 100 percent recyclable even at the end of its life. Because scrap of ZINC has a high
metal content, many new products can be created from recycled zinc, including zinc oxides
used in paint, rubber production, and pharmaceutical products.
BENEFITS OF USING ZINC IN CONSTRUCTION
Cathodic Protection: Zinc Anodes
Because of their different positions in the electrochemical series, when zinc and iron or steel
are joined together and placed in an electrolyte, a cell is formed in which the zinc becomes
the anode and the steel the cathode. The zinc then dissolves preferentially ('sacrifices') and
the steel does not rust. This is the process that enables zinc coatings to protect steel at
damaged areas (See 'Zinc coatings')

Marine sacrificial zinc anodes, which are available in many shapes and sizes, are bolted onto
ships’ hulls and ballast tanks, rigs and other installations to protect the steel structure from
corrosion. High purity zinc and a range of special alloys are used for cathodic protection to
ensure that the surface remains active.
BENEFITS OF USING ZINC IN CONSTRUCTION
BENEFITS OF USING ZINC IN CONSTRUCTION
Die casting is a metal
casting process that is
characterized by forcing
molten metal under
high pressure into a
mold cavity.
APPLICATIONS OF ZINC

Usually available in one meter wide and 500mm in colours (QUARTZ-ZINC, ANTHRA-ZINC, Natural
zinc, PIGMENTO red, PIGMENTO blue, PIGMENTO brown, and PIGMENTO green) and standard gauges
are .7mm .8mm 1mm and 1.5mm.
APPLICATIONS OF ZINC
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INFERENCE
A comparison of maintenance costs over the life of the roof for metal versus asphalt and
single-ply showed that owners of metal roofs spent approximately 3½ percent of total
installed costs on maintenance, versus 28½ percent for asphalt and 10 percent for single-ply.
(2004 study conducted by Ducker International)

Zinc material requires little maintenance over its service life; its patina constantly renews itself
as it weathers and ages and will “heal over” scratches and imperfections, requiring no touch-
up or repainting. Because the metal is uncoated, there is no possibility of the fading, chipping
or peeling that otherwise needs recurrent attention. A single zinc roof, with a lifespan of 80 to
100 years may well outlast the building it has been sheltering.
References
"In Focus: The Architectural Applications of Zinc" 06 Aug 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed 25 Oct 2017.
<https://www.archdaily.com/529858/in-focus-the-architectural-applications-of-zinc/>

“Science direct: The metallurgy of zinc" 07 Jan 2016. ArchDaily. Accessed 25 Oct 2017.
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079642598000061/>

Zinc Smelting Process, archived from the original on 2008-04-14, Accessed 27 Oct 2017.
<https://web.archive.org/web/20080414173301/http://www.nyrstar.com/nyrstar/en/products/pro
ductionprocess/>

Wikipedia: Zinc, 16 October 2017 (last edited). Accessed 27 Oct 2017.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc>
THANK YOU
APPLICATIONS OF ZINC