Editing Zinc (section)

===Alloys===
A widely used zinc alloy is brass, in which copper is alloyed with anywhere from 3% to 45% zinc, depending upon the type of brass.<ref name="Lehto1968p829" /> Brass is generally more [[ductile]] and stronger than copper, and has superior [[corrosion resistance]].<ref name="Lehto1968p829" /> These properties make it useful in communication equipment, hardware, musical instruments, and water valves.<ref name="Lehto1968p829" />

[[File:Microstructure of rolled and annealed brass; magnification 400X.jpg|thumb|left|Cast brass microstructure at magnification 400x|alt=A mosaica pattern composed of components having various shapes and shades of brown.]]
Other widely used zinc alloys include [[nickel silver]], typewriter metal, soft and aluminium [[solder]], and commercial [[bronze]].<ref name="CRCp4-41" /> Zinc is also used in contemporary pipe organs as a substitute for the traditional lead/tin alloy in pipes.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Douglas Earl|last=Bush|author2=Kassel, Richard |title=The Organ: An Encyclopedia|isbn=978-0-415-94174-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cgDJaeFFUPoC|publisher=Routledge|date=2006|page=679}}</ref> Alloys of 85–88% zinc, 4–10% copper, and 2–8% aluminium find limited use in certain types of machine bearings. Zinc has been the primary metal in [[Lincoln cent|American one cent coins]] (pennies) since 1982.<ref name="onecent">{{cite web|url=http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=coin_specifications|publisher=United States Mint|access-date=October 8, 2008|title=Coin Specifications|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218061037/http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=coin_specifications|archive-date=February 18, 2015}}</ref> The zinc core is coated with a thin layer of copper to give the appearance of a copper coin. In 1994, {{convert|33200|t|ST}} of zinc were used to produce 13.6&nbsp;billion pennies in the United States.<ref name="USGS-yb1994">{{cite web|url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/zinc/720494.pdf|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=Mineral Yearbook 1994: Zinc|first=Stephen M.|last=Jasinski|access-date=November 13, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029065604/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/zinc/720494.pdf|archive-date=October 29, 2008}}</ref>

Alloys of zinc with small amounts of copper, aluminium, and magnesium are useful in [[die casting]] as well as [[spin casting]], especially in the automotive, electrical, and hardware industries.<ref name="CRCp4-41" /> These alloys are marketed under the name [[Zamak]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eazall.com/diecastalloys.aspx|title=Diecasting Alloys|publisher=Eastern Alloys|access-date=January 19, 2009|location=Maybrook, NY|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225003739/http://www.eazall.com/diecastalloys.aspx|archive-date=December 25, 2008}}</ref> An example of this is [[zinc aluminium]]. The low melting point together with the low [[viscosity]] of the alloy makes possible the production of small and intricate shapes. The low working temperature leads to rapid cooling of the cast products and fast production for assembly.<ref name="CRCp4-41" /><ref>{{Cite journal|first=D.|last=Apelian|author2=Paliwal, M. |author3=Herrschaft, D. C. |title=Casting with Zinc Alloys|journal=Journal of Metals|volume=33|issue=11|date=1981|pages =12–19|doi=10.1007/bf03339527|bibcode = 1981JOM....33k..12A }}</ref> Another alloy, marketed under the brand name Prestal, contains 78% zinc and 22% aluminium, and is reported to be nearly as strong as steel but as malleable as plastic.<ref name="CRCp4-41" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s0i32LSfrJ4C&pg=PA157|page=157|title=Materials for automobile bodies|author=Davies, Geoff|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann|date=2003|isbn=978-0-7506-5692-4}}</ref> This [[superplasticity]] of the alloy allows it to be molded using die casts made of ceramics and cement.<ref name="CRCp4-41" />

Similar alloys with the addition of a small amount of lead can be cold-rolled into sheets. An alloy of 96% zinc and 4% aluminium is used to make stamping dies for low production run applications for which ferrous metal dies would be too expensive.<ref name="samans">{{Cite book|last=Samans|first=Carl Hubert|title=Engineering Metals and Their Alloys|publisher=Macmillan Co.|date=1949}}</ref> For building facades, roofing, and other applications for [[sheet metal]] formed by [[deep drawing]], [[roll forming]], or [[bending (metalworking)|bending]], zinc alloys with [[titanium]] and copper are used.<ref name="ZincCorr">{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C-pAiedmqp8C|title=Corrosion Resistance of Zinc and Zinc Alloys|first=Frank|last=Porter|publisher =CRC Press|date=1994|isbn=978-0-8247-9213-8|chapter=Wrought Zinc|pages=6–7}}</ref> Unalloyed zinc is too brittle for these manufacturing processes.<ref name="ZincCorr" />

As a dense, inexpensive, easily worked material, zinc is used as a [[lead]] replacement. In the wake of [[Lead poisoning|lead concerns]], zinc appears in weights for various applications ranging from fishing<ref>{{cite book|author=McClane, Albert Jules|author2=Gardner, Keith|name-list-style=amp|title=The Complete book of fishing: a guide to freshwater, saltwater & big-game fishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3nWAAAAMAAJ|access-date=June 26, 2012|date=1987|publisher=Gallery Books|isbn=978-0-8317-1565-6|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115010409/http://books.google.com/books?id=b3nWAAAAMAAJ|archive-date=November 15, 2012}}</ref> to [[tire balance]]s and flywheels.<ref name="minrecall">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.minourausa.com/english/support-e/recall-e.html
 |title=Cast flywheel on old Magturbo trainer has been recalled since July 2000
 |work=Minoura
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323175731/http://www.minourausa.com/english/support-e/recall-e.html
 |archive-date=March 23, 2013
}}</ref>

[[Cadmium zinc telluride]] (CZT) is a [[semiconductor|semiconductive]] alloy that can be divided into an array of small sensing devices.<ref name="Katz2002" /> These devices are similar to an [[integrated circuit]] and can detect the energy of incoming [[gamma ray]] photons.<ref name="Katz2002" /> When behind an absorbing mask, the CZT sensor array can determine the direction of the rays.<ref name="Katz2002">{{Cite book|title=The Biggest Bangs|last=Katz|first=Johnathan I.|page=[https://archive.org/details/biggestbangsmyst00katz_0/page/18 18]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|date=2002|isbn=978-0-19-514570-0|url=https://archive.org/details/biggestbangsmyst00katz_0/page/18}}</ref>