Abstract
According to market data, about 15% of world zinc consumption is devoted to the production of zinc-base alloys that are used for manufacturing automotive parts, electronic/electrical systems and also, water taps and sanitary fittings, household articles, fashion goods, etc. These alloys are characterized by low melting points and high fluidity that make them suitable for foundry applications. Typically, they are processed by hot chamber high-pressure die-casting where can be cast to thicknesses as low as 0.13 mm. The die-cast zinc alloys possess an attractive combination of mechanical properties, permitting them to be applied in a wide variety of functional applications. However, depending on the alloying elements and purposes, some zinc alloys can be processed also by cold chamber die-casting, gravity, or sand casting as well as spin casting and slush casting. In this paper, a detailed overview of the current knowledge in the relationships between processing, microstructure and mechanical properties of zinc-base alloys will be described. In detail, the evolution of the microstructure, the dimensional stability and aging phenomena are described. Furthermore, a thorough discussion on mechanical properties, as such as hardness, tensile, creep, and wear properties of zinc-base alloys is presented.
Highlights
Zinc is the fourth metal in the world, after iron, aluminum and copper
Other important applications involve the use of zinc for other coatings, or as alloying element in brasses, bronzes, aluminum, and magnesium alloys
Zinc has been investigated as a promising alternative to iron and magnesium as new biodegradable metal [4]
Summary
Zinc is the fourth metal in the world, after iron, aluminum and copper. In 2018, the global zinc supply increased up to 13.4 Mt with a global demand of 13.77 Mt [1]. Zinc-base alloys offer a series of properties that makes them attractive for die-casting manufacturing and, in general, for foundry technologies. Metals 2020, 1, x FOR PEER REVIEW melting temperature, resulting in low energy consumption and long die life, combined with high fluidity, that helps in filling complex mold cavities and very thin sections, typically as low as 0.75 mm fluidity, that helps in filling complex mold cavities and very thin sections, typically as low as 0.75 or even down to 0.13 mm [7] They show good mechanical properties, including equivalent, or often mm or even down to 0.13 mm [7]. The to wider usage of zinc their high density and loss of and mechanical mechanical properties with increased temperature properties with increased temperature and time [12].and time [12]
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