Zinc, mechanical properties

Copper and nickel can be alloyed with zinc to form nickel silvers. Nickel silvers are ductile, easily formed and machined, have good corrosion resistance, can be worked to provide a range of mechanical properties, and have an attractive white color. These alloys are used for ornamental purposes, as sHverplated and uncoated tableware and flatware in the electrical iadustry as contacts, connections, and springs and as many formed and machined parts (see Electrical connectors). 

Solders. In spite of the wide use and development of solders for millennia, as of the mid-1990s most principal solders are lead- or tin-based alloys to which a small amount of silver, zinc, antimony, bismuth, and indium or a combination thereof are added. The principal criterion for choosing a certain solder is its melting characteristics, ie, soHdus and Hquidus temperatures and the temperature spread or pasty range between them. Other criteria are mechanical properties such as strength and creep resistance, physical properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. 

Mechanical history, heat, and impurities gready affect the mechanical properties. Pure zinc is ductile at room temperature and does not have a definite yield point as do most stmctural metals. Rather, it creeps under sufficient constant load. The impurities of commercial zinc and alloying metals are carefully controlled to achieve the desired mechanical properties. 

The Zn—A1 system permits manipulation of the mechanical properties by suitable heat treatment. The aluminum-rich alpha phase is especially suitable for solution hardening since it can be supersaturated by as much as 30 wt % zinc. Furthermore, both alpha and beta phases can be strengthened by precipitation because of decreasing solute solubiUty with decreasing temperature. 

This computation is also referred to as calculating the zinc equivalent of the alloy. The increase in strength in this alloy series is caused by increased amounts of beta phase in the stmcture. The silicon brasses show similar hardening effects accompanying a second phase. Typical mechanical properties and electrical conductivity for various cast alloys are shown in Table 2. 

Bronzes are somewhat similar to brasses in mechanical properties and to high-zinc brasses in corrosion resistance (except that bronzes are not affected by stress cracking). Aluminum and silicon bronzes are very popiilar in the process industries because they combine good strength with corrosion resistance. 

As you can see from the tables in Chapter 1, few metals are used in their pure state -they nearly always have other elements added to them which turn them into alloys and give them better mechanical properties. The alloying elements will always dissolve in the basic metal to form solid solutions, although the solubility can vary between <0.01% and 100% depending on the combinations of elements we choose. As examples, the iron in a carbon steel can only dissolve 0.007% carbon at room temperature the copper in brass can dissolve more than 30% zinc and the copper-nickel system - the basis of the monels and the cupronickels - has complete solid solubility. 

The outstanding properties of copper-base materials are high electrical and thermal conductivity, good durabihty in mildly corrosive chemical environments and excellent ductility for forming complex shapes. As a relatively weak material, copper is often alloyed with zinc (brasses), tin (bronzes), aluminum and nickel to improve its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. 

Table 4.39 Typical Mechanical Properties of Zinc Alloys...

Brass water fittings give no trouble except that dezincification may occur in acid waters or waters of high chloride content, especially when hot. This dezincification has three effects. Firstly, the replacement of brass by porous copper may extend right through the wall of the fitting and permit water to seep through. Secondly, the zinc which is dissolved out of the brass may form very voluminous hard corrosion products and eventually block the waterway —this is often the case in hot soft waters. Thirdly, and often the most important, the mechanical properties of the brass may deteriorate. For instance, a dezincified screwed union will break off when an attempt is made to unscrew it and a dezincified tap or ball-valve seat is readily eroded by the water. 

It must always be remembered that diffusion coatings are produced by a form of heat treatment and that, with the exception of low-temperature zinc diffusion (sherardising), the treated ferrous materials are usually in the annealed condition. Whenever the mechanical properties of the parts must be restored to their original level, a subsequent heat treatment is necessary . This does not as a rule present any difficulty with chromised or boronised steels. In order to prevent undue distortion and internal stresses during treatment and subsequent hardening, it is recommended that high-carbon and alloy steels should be processed in the normalised condition. 

The corrosion reactions may be slowed down by using zinc alloys (with lead and cadmium, also improving the mechanical properties of zinc to simplify the production process) instead of the pure metal, or by amalgamating the inner surface of the can by adding a small amount of a mercury compound to the electrolyte. 

Note Zinc sulfide (ZnS) has higher mechanical properties and better erosion resistance than zinc selenide but its optical transmission is not as good. ... 

Attempts have been made to improve the mechanical properties of these cements by adding reinforcing fillers (Lawrence Smith, 1973 Brown Combe, 1973 Barton et al, 1975). Lawrence Smith (1973) examined alumina, stainless steel fibre, zinc silicate and zinc phosphate. The most effective filler was found to be alumina powder. When added to zinc oxide powder in a 3 2 ratio, compressive strength was increased by 80 % and tensile strength by 100 % (cements were mixed at a powder/liquid ratio of 2 1). Because of the dilution of the zinc oxide, setting time (at 37 °C) was increased by about 100%. As far as is known, this invention has not been exploited commercially. 

Chamberlain, B. B. Powers, J. N. (1976). Physical and mechanical properties of three zinc polycarboxylate cements. Journal of the Michigan Dental Association, 58, 494-500. 

Fields, J. E. Nielsen, L. E. (1968). Dynamic mechanical properties of some polymeric zinc salts. Journal of Applied Building Science, 12, 1041-51. 

Powers, J. M., Johnson, Z. G. Craig, R. G. (1974). Physical and mechanical properties of zinc polyacrylate dental cements. Journal of the American Dental Association, 88, 380-3. 

Table 6.4. Mechanical properties of commercial zinc phosphate cements Housten Miller, 1968 Wilson, 1975b Wilson Lewis, 1980 Powers, Farah Craig, 1976 0ilo Espevik, 1978)...

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