Editing Zinc (section)

==Characteristics==

===Physical properties===
[[File:Zinc-sheet.jpg|thumb|left|Piece of zinc sheet]]
Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous, [[diamagnetic]] metal,<ref name="CRCp4-41" /> though most common commercial grades of the metal have a dull finish.<ref name="Heiserman1992p123">{{harvnb|Heiserman|1992|p=123}}</ref> It is somewhat less dense than [[iron]] and has a hexagonal [[crystal structure]], with a distorted form of [[Close-packing of equal spheres|hexagonal close packing]], in which each atom has six nearest neighbors (at 265.9 pm) in its own plane and six others at a greater distance of 290.6 pm.<ref>Wells A.F. (1984) ''Structural Inorganic Chemistry'' 5th edition p 1277 Oxford Science Publications {{ISBN|0-19-855370-6}}</ref> The metal is hard and brittle at most temperatures but becomes malleable between 100 and 150&nbsp;°C.<ref name="CRCp4-41" /><ref name="Heiserman1992p123" /> Above 210&nbsp;°C, the metal becomes brittle again and can be pulverized by beating.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SSkKAAAAIAAJ|title=The Useful Metals and Their Alloys|first=John|last=Scoffern|author-link=John Scoffern|publisher=Houlston and Wright|date=1861|pages=591–603|access-date=April 6, 2009}}</ref> Zinc is a fair [[electrical conductivity|conductor of electricity]].<ref name="CRCp4-41" /> For a metal, zinc has relatively low melting (419.5&nbsp;°C) and boiling point (907&nbsp;°C).<ref name="ZincMetalProps">{{cite web|url=http://www.galvanizeit.org/design-and-fabrication/design-considerations/zinc-metal-properties |title=Zinc Metal Properties |publisher=American Galvanizers Association |date=2008 |access-date=April 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328205508/http://www.galvanizeit.org/design-and-fabrication/design-considerations/zinc-metal-properties |archive-date=March 28, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The melting point is the lowest of all the [[d-block]] metals aside from [[mercury (element)|mercury]] and [[cadmium]]; for this reason among others, zinc, cadmium, and mercury are often not considered to be [[transition metal]]s like the rest of the d-block metals.<ref name="ZincMetalProps" />

Many [[alloy]]s contain zinc, including brass. Other metals long known to form binary alloys with zinc are [[aluminium]], [[antimony]], [[bismuth]], [[gold]], iron, [[lead]], mercury, [[silver]], [[tin]], [[magnesium]], [[cobalt]], [[nickel]], [[tellurium]], and [[sodium]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Production and Properties of Zinc: A Treatise on the Occurrence and Distribution of Zinc Ore, the Commercial and Technical Conditions Affecting the Production of the Spelter, Its Chemical and Physical Properties and Uses in the Arts, Together with a Historical and Statistical Review of the Industry|last=Ingalls|first=Walter Renton|journal=The Engineering and Mining Journal|date=1902|pages=142–6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RhNDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA133}}</ref> Although neither zinc nor [[zirconium]] is [[Ferromagnetism|ferromagnetic]], their alloy, {{chem|ZrZn|2}}, exhibits ferromagnetism below 35&nbsp;[[Kelvin|K]].<ref name="CRCp4-41" />

===Occurrence===
{{See also|:Category:Zinc minerals|l1=Zinc minerals}}
Zinc makes up about 75&nbsp;[[Parts per million|ppm]]&nbsp;(0.0075%) of [[Earth's crust]], making it the 22nd-most abundant element.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Emsley |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2EfYXzwPo3UC&q=24th+most+abundant+element&pg=PA626 |title=Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements |date=2011-08-25 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-960563-7 |language=en}}</ref> It also makes up 312 ppm of the Solar System, where it is the 22nd most abundant element.<ref>{{Citation |last=Brugger |first=Joël |title=Zinc |date=2018-07-18 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Geochemistry: A Comprehensive Reference Source on the Chemistry of the Earth |series=Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series |pages=1521–1524 |url=https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/zinc |access-date=2024-06-21 |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_212 |isbn=978-3-319-39311-7}}</ref> Typical background concentrations of zinc do not exceed 1 μg/m<sup>3</sup> in the atmosphere; 300&nbsp;mg/kg in soil; 100&nbsp;mg/kg in vegetation; 20 μg/L in freshwater and 5 μg/L in seawater.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rieuwerts|first=John|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/886492996|title=The Elements of Environmental Pollution|publisher=Earthscan Routledge|year=2015|isbn=978-0-415-85919-6|location=London and New York|pages=286|oclc=886492996}}</ref> The element is normally found in association with other [[base metal]]s such as [[copper]] and [[lead]] in [[ore]]s.<ref name="Lehto1968p822" /> Zinc is a [[Goldschmidt classification#Chalcophile elements|chalcophile]], meaning the element is more likely to be found in minerals together with [[sulfur]] and other heavy [[chalcogen]]s, rather than with the light chalcogen [[oxygen]] or with non-chalcogen electronegative elements such as the [[halogen]]s. [[Sulfide]]s formed as the crust solidified under the [[redox|reducing]] conditions of the early Earth's atmosphere.<ref name="Greenwood1997p1202">{{harvnb|Greenwood|Earnshaw|1997|p=1202}}</ref> [[Sphalerite]], which is a form of zinc sulfide, is the most heavily mined zinc-containing ore because its concentrate contains 60–62% zinc.<ref name="Lehto1968p822" />

Other source minerals for zinc include [[smithsonite]] (zinc [[carbonate]]), [[hemimorphite]] (zinc [[silicate]]), [[wurtzite]] (another zinc sulfide), and sometimes [[hydrozincite]] (basic [[zinc carbonate]]).<ref name="Emsley2001p502" /> With the exception of wurtzite, all these other minerals were formed by weathering of the primordial zinc sulfides.<ref name="Greenwood1997p1202" />

Identified world zinc resources total about 1.9–2.8&nbsp;billion [[tonne]]s.<ref name="USGSMCS2015">{{cite web|last=Sai Srujan|first=A.V|date=2021|title=Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021: Zinc|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-zinc.pdf|access-date=June 21, 2021|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Erickson|first1=R. L.|title=Crustal Abundance of Elements, and Mineral Reserves and Resources|journal=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper |issue=820|date=1973|pages=21–25}}</ref> Large deposits are in Australia, Canada and the United States, with the largest reserves in [[Iran]].<ref name="Greenwood1997p1202" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etdb.org/StrategiesAndResearch/Countries/CSPReports/ReportsLibrary/CPS%20Report%20-%20Islamic%20Republic%20of%20Iran.doc |title=Country Partnership Strategy—Iran: 2011–12 |access-date=June 6, 2011 |publisher=ECO Trade and development bank |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026135641/http://www.etdb.org/StrategiesAndResearch/Countries/CSPReports/ReportsLibrary/CPS%20Report%20-%20Islamic%20Republic%20of%20Iran.doc |archive-date=October 26, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranconmin.de/en/leftnavigation/market|title=IRAN&nbsp;– a growing market with enormous potential|access-date=March 3, 2010|publisher=IMRG|date=July 5, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217181730/http://www.iranconmin.de/en/leftnavigation/market|archive-date=February 17, 2013}}</ref> The most recent estimate of reserve base for zinc (meets specified minimum physical criteria related to current mining and production practices) was made in 2009 and calculated to be roughly 480 Mt.<ref name="USGSMCS2009">{{cite web|last=Tolcin|first=A. C.|date=2009|url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/zinc/mcs-2015-zinc.pdf|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|access-date=August 4, 2016|title=Mineral Commodity Summaries 2009: Zinc|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702053035/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/zinc/mcs-2015-zinc.pdf|archive-date=July 2, 2016}}</ref> Zinc reserves, on the other hand, are geologically identified ore bodies whose suitability for recovery is economically based (location, grade, quality, and quantity) at the time of determination. Since exploration and mine development is an ongoing process, the amount of zinc reserves is not a fixed number and sustainability of zinc ore supplies cannot be judged by simply extrapolating the combined mine life of today's zinc mines. This concept is well supported by data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which illustrates that although refined zinc production increased 80% between 1990 and 2010, the reserve lifetime for zinc has remained unchanged. About 346 million tonnes have been extracted throughout history to 2002, and scholars have estimated that about 109–305&nbsp;million tonnes are in use.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gordon|first=R. B.|author2=Bertram, M. |author3=Graedel, T. E. |title=Metal stocks and sustainability|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=103|date=2006|pmid=16432205|pmc=1360560|doi=10.1073/pnas.0509498103|issue=5|bibcode = 2006PNAS..103.1209G|pages=1209–14 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gerst|first1=Michael|title=In-Use Stocks of Metals: Status and Implications|journal=Environmental Science and Technology|date=2008|volume=42|issue=19|pages=7038–45|doi=10.1021/es800420p|pmid=18939524|bibcode=2008EnST...42.7038G}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Meylan|first1=Gregoire|title=The anthropogenic cycle of zinc: Status quo and perspectives|journal=Resources, Conservation and Recycling|volume=123|date=2016|pages=1–10|doi=10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.01.006}}</ref>
[[File:Sphalerite4.jpg|thumb|[[Sphalerite]] (ZnS)|alt=A black shiny lump of solid with uneven surface]]

===Isotopes===
{{Main|Isotopes of zinc}}
Five stable [[isotope]]s of zinc occur in nature, with <sup>64</sup>Zn being the most abundant isotope (49.17% [[natural abundance]]).<ref name="NNDC">{{cite web|url=http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/|editor=Alejandro A. Sonzogni (Database Manager)|title=Chart of Nuclides|publisher=National Nuclear Data Center, [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]]|access-date=September 13, 2008|date=2008|location=Upton (NY)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522125027/http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart|archive-date=May 22, 2008}}</ref>{{NUBASE2016|ref}} The other isotopes found in nature are {{chem|66|Zn}} (27.73%), {{chem|67|Zn}} (4.04%), {{chem|68|Zn}} (18.45%), and {{chem|70|Zn}} (0.61%).{{NUBASE2016|name}}

Several dozen [[radioisotope]]s have been characterized. {{chem|65|Zn}}, which has a half-life of 243.66&nbsp;days, is the least active radioisotope, followed by {{chem|72|Zn}} with a half-life of 46.5&nbsp;hours.<ref name="NNDC" /> Zinc has 10 [[nuclear isomer]]s, of which <sup>69m</sup>Zn has the longest half-life, 13.76 h.<ref name="NNDC" /> The superscript ''m'' indicates a [[metastable]] isotope. The nucleus of a metastable isotope is in an [[excited state]] and will return to the [[ground state]] by emitting a [[photon]] in the form of a [[gamma ray]]. {{chem|61|Zn}} has three excited metastable states and {{chem|73|Zn}} has two.<ref>{{NUBASE 2003}}</ref> The isotopes {{chem|65|Zn}}, {{chem|71|Zn}}, {{chem|77|Zn}} and {{chem|78|Zn}} each have only one excited metastable state.<ref name="NNDC" />

The most common [[decay mode]] of a [[radioisotope]] of zinc with a [[mass number]] lower than 66 is [[electron capture]]. The [[decay product]] resulting from electron capture is an isotope of copper.<ref name="NNDC" />

:{{nuclide|zinc|n}} + {{SubatomicParticle|link=yes|electron}} → {{nuclide|copper|n}} + {{SubatomicParticle|link=yes|Electron neutrino}}

The most common decay mode of a radioisotope of zinc with mass number higher than 66 is [[beta decay]] (β<sup>−</sup>), which produces an isotope of [[gallium]].<ref name="NNDC" />
:{{nuclide|zinc|n}} → {{nuclide|gallium|n}} + {{SubatomicParticle|electron}} + {{SubatomicParticle|link=yes|Electron antineutrino}}