Zinc

Basics

• An element with an atomic number of 30
• Low melting temp metal (420C) which can be used for a stovetop foundry. See Stovetop Metal Casting.
• It is very useful, especially for Cathodic Protection either as a sacrificial anode, or via Galvanisation
• Some batteries use zinc
• Used in some alloys

Sourcing

• USA pennies after 1982 are made from zinc, and weigh either 2.5 or 3.1 grams [1].
• Zinc ingot - $3/lb. [2]
• https://www.westmarine.com/zincs-anodes
• 1-2 Ton USA sourcing. [3]

Commercial Methods of Production

Sulphate Source

• Use Froth Floatation to seperate the zinc sulphates out
• Then once isolated they are smelted producing sulphur dioxide and pure (ish) zinc
• This supposedly produces quite a bit of nast stuff such ascadmium, copper, arsenic, antimony, cobalt, germanium, nickel, and thallium in the leach product. SO if done small scale WASTE MANAGMENT WILL BE A BIG ISSUE WITH THIS METHOD , unless puro zinc sulfide is used in which case a good water Wet Scrubber is all that is need, and the system would co-produce Sulphric Acid

Zinc Oxide Source

• This is a much simpler pathway
• ESPECIALLY if pure zinc oxide (Such as from recycling of Sacrificial Anodes and/or Zinc Air Batteries
• Same process as Iron Smelting

DIY

Non-Zinc Oxide Sources

• Dripping a zince droplet from inside a penny - easy experiment with a torch and pennies. Dropping is nice and pure zinc. [4]

• Not cost effective.
• It is cost effective to use a small furnace with a steel mesh, so zinc drips out the bottom, and copper shells stay on top. - [5]

• Casting zinc rings - nice and clean just using pennies on a spoon + mold - [6]
• Melting zinc, with mini foundry - [7]
• Melting pennies on a stove is messy - [8]

Zinc Oxide Sources

• The simpler method, althoug availability may be more of an issue
• Smelting

See Also

• Zinc Air Battery
• Sacrificial Anode
• Smelting
• Froth Floatation
• Galvanisation
• Electroplating

Useful Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Zinc