Appearance
Zinc is a bluish - white, lustrous metal.

Source
Zinc is found in several ores, principally Zinc blende, Calamine and Marmatite.

Commercially, Zinc is obtained from its ores by concentrating and roasting the ore, then reducing it to Zinc thermally with Carbon or by electrolysis.

Uses
Zinc is used in alloys such as Brass, Nickel silver and Aluminium solder. Large quantities of Zinc are used to produce die castings which are important in the automobile, electrical and hardware industries. It is also used extensively to galvanise other metals such as Iron to prevent rusting.

Zinc oxide is used in the manufacture of many products such as paints, rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, soaps, inks, batteries, textiles and electrical equipment.

Zinc sulphide is used in making luminous dials and fluorescent lights.

General Information
Zinc reacts with both acids and alkalis. It tarnishes in air. It is brittle at normal temperatures but malleable ate 100 - 150K. It is a fair conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red heat with the evolution of white clouds of the oxide.

When freshly formed Zinc (II) oxide is inhaled a disorder called the 'oxide shakes' or 'Zinc chills' occurs. Zinc is carcinogenic in excess.