zinc

Zinc Zincum (from the German Zink) is a chemical element in the periodic table of elements, which has the symbol Zn and the proton number 30. Zinc is a soft, easy-to-melt metal, it has been used since the Middle Ages. It serves as a component of various alloys. It is used in the production of dyes and its presence in food is necessary for the proper development of the organism, but excessive amounts can be harmful.

Occurrence and production
It is relatively richly represented in the earth's crust. The average content is approximately 100 mg/kg. Even in seawater, its concentration is quite high - 0.01 milligrams in one liter. It is assumed that in the universe there are approximately 100 million hydrogen atoms for one zinc atom.

The main mineral and ore for the industrial production of zinc is sphalerite, chemically zinc sulfide ZnS. Another zinc mineral is smithsonite (formerly calamine), zinc carbonate ZnCO3 and zinc oxide - zincite. We can also rarely meet elemental, metallic zinc in nature. Zinc is a relatively reactive element, in the air it is covered with a layer of carbonate and zinc oxide

 

The most used compounds
zinc oxide - pharmacy, cosmetics
zinc carbonate - pharmacy, cosmetics
zinc orotate (zincumorotate) – pharmacy
zinc sulfate (people's white rock)
zinc chloride - also found in some batteries
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