Zinc Facts
Zinc Facts
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| Interesting Zinc Facts: |
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| Zinc is the 24th most common element in the planet's crust. |
| It makes up approximately seventy-five parts per million, or .0075%, of the Earth's crust. |
| Zinc is also found in Earth's seawater, at around thirty parts per billion. |
| Zinc is usually found with other elements like copper. |
| It has five naturally occurring stable isotopes. |
| The most common stable isotope of zinc is Zn-64. |
| Zn-64 has such a long half-life that it radioactive properties are virtually non-existant. |
| It has been in use by workman and artisans since at least 1000 BC. |
| One statue made of more than 87% zinc found in modern-day Romania dates back to prehistory. |
| Writings from as early as 400 BC mention a silvery metal that was used to make brass, most likely, zinc. |
| Zinc was likely given its name by Paracelsus. |
| Andreas Sigismund Marggraf is typically given the credit for having discovered zinc's pure metallic form in 1746. |
| Many scientists were reported to have worked on experiments with zinc and zinc oxide as early as the late 1600s. |
| Zinc is used in the production of brass, where it's alloyed with copper, and many other alloys. |
| It is also used in plating iron, due to its non-corrosive properties. |
| Zinc is a hard metal, but becomes very malleable above 100 degrees Celsius. |
| Of all the transition metals, it has the lowest melting point after cadmium and mercury. |
| Zinc is considered to be a fairly strong reducing agent, and tarnishes very quickly. |
| Zinc burns with a very bright blue-green flare. |
| Zinc compounds are not very abundant. |
| After copper, aluminium, and iron, zinc is the most commonly used metal by industry. |
| Zinc production today is from nearly 70% mining and 30% recycling. |
| Almost all zinc (95%) is mined from sulfide ore deposits. |
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