Quick Search
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound that appears as a white, powdery substance and is insoluble in water.
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO.
Zinc oxide is a white powder which is insoluble in water.
CAS Number: 1314-13-2
Molecular Formula: OZn
Molecular Weight: 81.39
EINECS Number: 215-222-5
Synonyms: ZINC OXIDE, 1314-13-2, oxozinc, Zinc White, Zinc Oxide Powder, Chinese White, Snow white, Akro-zinc bar 85, MFCD00011300, Azo-33, Supertah, Zincite, Azodox, Lassars Paste, Flores de zinci, Lassar Paste, Zinci Oxicum, Hubbuck's White, Blanc de Zinc, Vandem VPC, White seal-7, K-Zinc, 174846-84-5, Akro-zinc bar 90, Azodox-55, Azodox-55TT, Red Seal 9, Electrox 2500, Kadox 15, Zinc oxide [USAN], Protox 166, Protox 168, Protox 169, Caswell No. 920, Electox 2500, Cynku tlenek [Polish], Desitin, Nogenol, C-Weiss 8 [German], zincum oxidatum, Azo-55TT, Azo-66TT, Azo-77TT, Zinc gelatin, RVPaque, Azo 22, Azo-55, Azo-66, Azo-77, No-Genol, Zinc oxide substrate, 10x10x0.5mm, polished one side, 0001 orientation, Zinc oxide, 99.99% trace metals basis, CCRIS 1309, C-Weiss 8, HSDB 5024, A&D Medicated Ointment, EINECS 215-222-5, UNII-SOI2LOH54Z, Zinc oxide [USP:JAN], EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 088502, Leaded zinc oxide, ZN-0401 E 3/16'', ZnO Quantum Dots, Zinc Oxide Slurry, Zinc oxide, heavy, Zinc oxide (TN), Zinc Oxide Nanowire, Zinc Oxide Nanowires, Zine Oxide ,(S), Zinc Oxide Dispersion, Zinc Oxide Nanopowder, Zinc oxide, Nanotek?, Zinc oxide, Puratronic, Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots, Zinc oxide,99.99%, EC 215-222-5, Zinc oxide (JP18/USP), Zinc oxide, sintered tablets, Zinc oxide, LR, >=99%, Aluminium Doped ZnO Dispersion, Zinc oxide [USAN:USP:JAN], Zinc oxide, analytical standard, Zinc Oxide Nanopowder Dispersion, Zinc Oxide Nanopowder (Type I), Zinc oxide, NanoArc ZN-0605, Zinc oxide, p.a., 99.0%, Zinc oxide nanopowder (200 nm), Zinc Oxide Nanopowder (Type II), Zinc Oxide Dispersion Wood Coating, Yttrium Doped Zinc Oxide Dispersion, Europium Doped Zinc Oxide Dispersion, Zinc oxide powder (200-800 nm), Zinc oxide, USP, 99-100.5%, AKOS015904168, Zinc oxide nanopowder (10-30 nm), DB09321, FZ32039, Zinc oxide, ACS reagent, >=99.0%, Zinc oxide, 30nm,20 wt.% isopropanol, Zinc oxide, tested according to Ph.Eur., Zinc oxide, 99.999% trace metals basis, Zinc oxide, SAJ first grade, >=99.0%, Zinc oxide, JIS special grade, >=99.0%, CS-0179846, Antimony Tin Dioxide (ATO) Sputtering Targets, D01170, Zinc oxide, nanopowder, <100 nm particle size, Q190077, Zinc Oxide Nanodispersion Type A-Nonionic (70nm), Zinc Oxide Nanodispersion Type B-Anionic (70nm), Zinc Oxide Nanodispersion Type C-Cationic (70nm), Zinc oxide, nanowires, diam. x L 90 nm x 1 mum, Zinc oxide nanopowder (2% Alumina doped) (40 nm), Zinc oxide, nanowires, diam. x L 50 nm x 300 nm, Zinc oxide, nanowires, diam. x L 300 nm x 4-5 mum, Zinc oxide, puriss. p.a., ACS reagent, >=99.0% (KT), AZO Powder / AZO MicroPowder / ZnO Doped with Metal Aluminum, Zinc oxide, nanopowder, <50 nm particle size (BET), >97%, Zinc oxide, ReagentPlus(R), powder, <5 mum particle size, 99.9%, Zinc oxide, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard, Zinc oxide nanopowder (treated with silane coupling agents) (10-30 nm), Zinc oxide substrate, 10x10x0.5mm, polished two sides, 0001 orientation, 20 wt% Zinc Oxide in water, 20 wt% (ZnO) (pale yellow powder), >99% Nano, Zinc oxide sputtering target, 50.8mm (2.0in) dia x 3.18mm (0.125in) thick, Zinc oxide sputtering target, 50.8mm (2.0in) dia x 6.35mm (0.250in) thick, Zinc oxide, NanoTek Z1102PMA, 50% in 1,2-propanediol monomethyl ether acetate, colloidal dispersion, Zinc oxide, sputtering target, diam. x thickness 3.00 in. x 0.125 in., 99.99% trace metals basis C.I.Pigment White 4 (77947);Zinc oxide, ACS, 99.0% min;Zinc oxide, 99% (metals basis);Zinc oxide, Puratronic(R), 99.9995% (metals basis);Zinc oxide, 99.9% (metals basis);Zinc oxide, Puratronic(R), 99.999% (metals basis);ZINC OXIDE POWDER;Zinc Oxide (fume) (also see metal).
Zinc oxide is used as an additive in numerous materials and products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, sunscreens, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, semi conductors, and first-aid tapes. Although it occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.
It is widely used for its diverse chemical and physical properties, including its ability to act as a UV blocker, antibacterial agent, and catalyst in various industrial applications.
Zinc oxide occurs naturally as the mineral zincite but is typically synthesized for commercial use through processes such as the French or American method.
Zinc oxide is commonly found in sunscreens, ointments, and cosmetics due to its ability to protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and aid in wound healing.
It is also a key ingredient in rubber manufacturing, ceramics, pigments, coatings, and even electronic applications, where it is used in semiconductors and transparent conductive films.
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound used in a number of manufacturing processes.
Zinc oxide can be found in rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, and first-aid tapes.
It occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, but most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.
Zinc oxide is also widely used to treat a variety of other skin conditions, in products such as baby powder and barrier creams to treat diaper rashes, calamine cream, anti-dandruff shampoos, and antiseptic ointments.
Zinc oxide is a very useful ingredient that has been used for centuries in various skincare and cosmetic formulations.
It is a natural ingredient that appears as a white powder in its raw form. Zinc Oxide provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB radiation, making it an excellent choice for sunscreens.
It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making it an excellent ingredient for treating and preventing acne and other skin conditions.
Zinc oxide is a natural color agent and does not contain any synthetic colorants.
Zinc oxide is a natural alternative to synthetic sunscreens and provides numerous benefits for the skin.
The chemical formula of Zinc Oxide is ZnO.
Zinc oxide occurs in nature as mineral zincite.
It is the most important zinc compound and has numerous industrial applications.
Zinc oxide is the pigment in white paints.
Zinc oxide is used to make enamels, white printing inks, white glue, opaque glasses, rubber products and floor tiles.
It is used in cosmetics, soaps, pharmaceuticals, dental cements, storage batteries, electrical equipment, and piezoelectric devices.
Other applications are as a flame retardant, as a UV absorber in plastics, and a reagent in analytical chemistry.
A major application of zinc oxide is in the preparation of most zinc salts.
In medicine, the compound is used as an antiseptic, an astringent and a topical protectant.
Zinc oxide is obtained as an intermediate in recovering zinc from minerals.
The oxide is prepared by vaporizing zinc metal and oxidation of the zinc vapors with preheated air (French process).
The oxide can be produced by other processes.
Another method involves roasting franklinite and other ores with coal and then oxidizing the product in air.
Crude zinc oxide is a yellow-gray granular solid with no odor.
Zinc oxide has a specific gravity of 4.4. Zinc oxide is insoluble in water.
The primary hazard is the threat posed to the environment.
Immediate steps should be taken to limit its spread to the environment.
Prolonged inhalation of the dust may result in metal fume fever with symptoms of chills, fever, muscular pain, nausea and vomiting.
Zinc oxide is a largely inert, white compound which is used very widely as a bulking agent or filler, and as a white pigment.
Zinc oxide is found in some rubber, glass and ceramic products, and finds use in the chemical industry as a catalyst.
It is also used in paints as a corrosion inhibitor and for mildew control.
Zinc is an essential trace element, and zinc oxide is added to fertilizers, animal feed, and vitamin supplements.
Zinc oxide is also used in a many cosmetic and medical products and in toiletries, as it has antibacterial and deodorant properties.
Zinc oxide is found in, for example, baby powder and anti-dandruff shampoos, in calamine lotion and in sticking plasters and dental cement.
Thanks to its many beneficial properties, Zinc oxide can be found in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products.
Most commonly it is present in sunscreens, and it also has other benefits for the skin, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
Zinc oxide is added to skin care products because of its ability to treat and prevent acne, soothe irritated skin, and promote wound healing.
It is also an effective natural sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.
Zinc oxide also acts as a natural colorant and a thickening agent.
It can be found in foundations, powders, and other makeup products to provide a matte finish and even out skin tone.
Zinc oxide occurs in the mineral zincite, but most of the commercial product is made by the high-temperature oxidation of metallic zinc or zinc ores.
Zinc oxide is used extensively in diverse industries such as rubber, ceramics, medicine, food, pigments, and coatings.
It absorbs ultraviolet light and is probably an ingredient in the sunscreen you used this past summer.
Pure Zinc oxide is a white powder.
However, in nature, it occurs as the rare mineral zincite, which usually contains manganese and other impurities that confer a yellow to red color.
Crystalline zinc oxide is thermochromic, changing from white to yellow when heated in air and reverting to white on cooling.
This color change is caused by a small loss of oxygen to the environment at high temperatures to form the non-stoichiometric Zn1+xO, where at 800 °C, x = 0.00007.
Zinc oxide is an amphoteric oxide.
It is nearly insoluble in water, but it will dissolve in most acids, such as hydrochloric acid: ZnO + 2 HCl → ZnCl2 + H2O
Solid zinc oxide will also dissolve in alkalis to give soluble zincates: ZnO + 2 NaOH + H2O → Na2[Zn(OH)4]
ZnO reacts slowly with fatty acids in oils to produce the corresponding carboxylates, such as oleate or stearate.
When mixed with a strong aqueous solution of zinc chloride, ZnO forms cement-like products best described as zinc hydroxy chlorides.
This cement was used in dentistry.
Zinc oxide also forms cement-like material when treated with phosphoric acid; related materials are used in dentistry.
A major component of zinc phosphate cement produced by this reaction is hopeite, Zn3(PO4)2·4H2O.
Zinc oxide decomposes into zinc vapor and oxygen at around 1975 °C with a standard oxygen pressure.
In a carbothermic reaction, heating with carbon converts the oxide into zinc vapor at a much lower temperature (around 950 °C).
ZnO + C → Zn(Vapor) + CO
Zinc oxide is a wide-band gap semiconductor of the II-VI semiconductor group.
The native doping of the semiconductor due to oxygen vacancies or zinc interstitials is n-type.
Zinc oxide is a relatively soft material with approximate hardness of 4.5 on the Mohs scale.
Zinc oxides elastic constants are smaller than those of relevant III-V semiconductors, such as GaN.
The high heat capacity and heat conductivity, low thermal expansion and high melting temperature of ZnO are beneficial for ceramics.
The E2 optical phonon in Zinc oxide exhibits an unusually long lifetime of 133 ps at 10 K.
Among the tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors, it has been stated that Zinc oxide has the highest piezoelectric tensor, or at least one comparable to that of GaN and AlN.
This property makes it a technologically important material for many piezoelectrical applications, which require a large electromechanical coupling.
Therefore, Zinc oxide in the form of thin film has been one of the most studied and used resonator materials for thin-film bulk acoustic resonators.
Favourable properties of zinc oxide include good transparency, high electron mobility, wide band gap, and strong room-temperature luminescence.
Those properties make ZnO valuable for a variety of emerging applications: transparent electrodes in liquid crystal displays, energy-saving or heat-protecting windows, and electronics as thin-film transistors and light-emitting diodes.
Zinc oxide has a relatively wide direct band gap of ~3.3 eV at room temperature.
Advantages associated with a wide band gap include higher breakdown voltages, ability to sustain large electric fields, lower electronic noise, and high-temperature and high-power operation.
The band gap of Zinc oxide can further be tuned to ~3–4 eV by its alloying with magnesium oxide or cadmium oxide.
Due to this large band gap, there have been efforts to create visibly transparent solar cells utilising Zinc oxide as a light absorbing layer.
However, these solar cells have so far proven highly inefficient.
Most Zinc oxide has n-type character, even in the absence of intentional doping.
Nonstoichiometry is typically the origin of n-type character, but the subject remains controversial.
An alternative explanation has been proposed, based on theoretical calculations, that unintentional substitutional hydrogen impurities are responsible.
Controllable n-type doping is easily achieved by substituting Zn with group-III elements such as Al, Ga, In or by substituting oxygen with group-VII elements chlorine or iodine.
Numerous specialised methods exist for producing Zinc oxide for scientific studies and niche applications.
These methods can be classified by the resulting Zinc oxide form (bulk, thin film, nanowire), temperature ("low", that is close to room temperature or "high", that is T ~ 1000 °C), process type (vapor deposition or growth from solution) and other parameters.
Large single crystals (many cubic centimeters) can be grown by the gas transport (vapor-phase deposition), hydrothermal synthesis, or melt growth.
However, because of the high vapor pressure of Zinc oxide, growth from the melt is problematic.
Growth by gas transport is difficult to control, leaving the hydrothermal method as a preference.
Thin films can be produced by a variety of methods including chemical vapor deposition, metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy, electrodeposition, sputtering, spray pyrolysis, thermal oxidation, sol–gel synthesis, atomic layer deposition, and pulsed laser deposition.
Zinc oxide can be produced in bulk by precipitation from zinc compounds, mainly zinc acetate, in various solutions, such as aqueous sodium hydroxide or aqueous ammonium carbonate.
Synthetic methods characterized in literature since the year 2000 aim to produce Zinc oxide particles with high surface area and minimal size distribution, including precipitation, mechanochemical, sol-gel, microwave, and emulsion methods.
Zinc oxide is a natural ingredient that is derived from the mineral zincite.
It is made by heating the mineral to a high temperature and vaporizing it.
The vapor is then oxidized to form Zinc Oxide particles, which are then collected and purified.
The size of the particles can be controlled to produce different grades of Zinc Oxide with varying properties.
When it comes to sunscreen agents, Zinc Oxide is pretty much in a league of its own.
Zinc oxide's a physical (or inorganic) sunscreen that has a lot in common with fellow inorganic sunscreen Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) but a couple of things make it superior even to TiO2.
elting point: 1975 °C
Boiling point: 1949.9°C (estimate)
Density: 5.6
Bulk density: 200-700 kg/m³
Refractive index: 2.008~2.029
Flash point: 27℃
Storage temp.: Store at +5°C to +30°C.
Solubility: 0.0016 g/L insoluble
Form: Nanopowder
Color: White to pale yellow
Specific Gravity: 5.61
pH: 7 (50 g/L, H₂O, 20℃) (slurry)
Odor: Wh. to gray powd. or crystals, odorless, bitter taste
Viscosity: 3 cP
Water Solubility: 1.6 mg/L (29 ºC)
Crystal Structure: ZnO type
Crystal system: Six sides
Merck: 14,10147
Zinc oxide has significant applications in nanotechnology, where its nanoparticle forms enhance performance in drug delivery, antimicrobial coatings, and flexible electronics.
Due to its non-toxic nature and multifunctional properties, zinc oxide continues to be a crucial material across various scientific and industrial fields.
It occurs naturally as a reddish orange ore zincite, and can also be made by oxidizing hot zinc in air.
Zinc oxide is amphoteric, forming zincates with bases.
It is used as a pigment (Chinese white) and a mild antiseptic in zinc ointments.
An archaic name is philosopher’swool.
Paints containing zinc oxide powder have long been utilized as anticorrosive coatings for metals.
They are especially effective for galvanized iron.
Iron is difficult to protect because its reactivity with organic coatings leads to brittleness and lack of adhesion.
Zinc oxide paints retain their flexibility and adherence on such surfaces for many years.
Humans have long learned to use zinc oxide as a coating or topical medicine, but the history of human discovery of zinc oxide has been difficult to trace.
In the "Chakra" which is Ancient India medical literature recorded in a later identified as zinc oxide drugs, used to treat eye diseases and trauma.
The first century AD, the Greek doctor Dioscorides also referred to use zinc oxide to do the ointment.
Avicenna completed in 1025 the "Hui prescription" in Zinc Oxide described for the treatment of various skin diseases, including skin cancer drug of choice.
Nowadays, people no longer use zinc oxide to treat skin cancer, but still widely used in the treatment of other common skin diseases.
As early as 200 BC, the Romans learned how to react with copper and zinc ore containing zinc oxide to make brass.
Zinc oxide into zinc vapor in the shaft furnace, rolled into the flue reaction. Dioscorides also introduced this.
Since the 12th century, the Indians have known zinc and zinc ore, and began to make zinc using the original way.
Zinc smelting technology introduced in China in seventeenth Century. 1743, Bristol, Britain established the first zinc smelting plant in Europe.
Another major use of zinc oxide is used as a coating, called zinc white.
In 1834, zinc white became the Chinese watercolor paint for the first time, but insoluble in oil.
But soon the problem was solved by the new zinc oxide production process.
In 1845, Leclerc began to manufacture pigment of zinc white oil painting on a large scale in Paris, to 1850, zinc white popular throughout Europe.
The purity of zinc white was so high that some artists painted zinc-white as a background at the end of the nineteenth century, but these paintings were cracked after a hundred years.
In the second half of the 20th century, zinc oxide used in the rubber industry.
In the 1970s, the second major use of zinc oxide is the additives of copy paper, but in the 21st century, the approach of zinc oxide has been eliminated as a copy paper additive.
Reliable p-type doping of Zinc oxide remains difficult.
This problem originates from low solubility of p-type dopants and their compensation by abundant n-type impurities.
This problem is observed with GaN and ZnSe.
Measurement of p-type in "intrinsically" n-type material is complicated by the inhomogeneity of samples.
Current limitations to p-doping limit electronic and optoelectronic applications of ZnO, which usually require junctions of n-type and p-type material.
Known p-type dopants include group-I elements Li, Na, K; group-V elements N, P and As; as well as copper and silver.
However, many of these form deep acceptors and do not produce significant p-type conduction at room temperature.
Electron mobility of Zinc oxide strongly varies with temperature and has a maximum of ~2000 cm2/(V·s) at 80 K.
Data on hole mobility are scarce with values in the range 5–30 cm2/(V·s).
Zinc oxide discs, acting as a varistor, are the active material in most surge arresters.
Zinc oxide is noted for its strongly nonlinear optical properties, especially in bulk.
The nonlinearity of ZnO nanoparticles can be fine-tuned according to their size.
Zinc oxide is primarily used as a white pigment in rubber formulations and as a vulcanizing aid.
It is also used as an antiinflammatory agent; in photo copying; paints, chemicals, ceramics, lacquers, and varnishes; as a filler for plastic; in cosmetics; pharmaceuticals, and calamine lotion.
Exposure may occur in the manufacture and use of zinc oxide and products, or through its formation as a fume when zinc or its alloys are heated.
HC may have been used as a Choking/Pulmonary Agent.
Aluminium-doped Zinc oxide layers are used as transparent electrodes.
The components Zn and Al are much cheaper and less toxic compared to the generally used indium tin oxide (ITO).
One application which has begun to be commercially available is the use of Zinc oxide as the front contact for solar cells or of liquid crystal displays.
Transparent thin-film transistors (TTFT) can be produced with Zinc oxide.
As field-effect transistors, they do not need a p–n junction, thus avoiding the p-type doping problem of Zinc oxide.
Some of the field-effect transistors even use Zinc oxide nanorods as conducting channels.
The piezoelectricity in textile fibers coated in Zinc oxide have been shown capable of fabricating "self-powered nanosystems" with everyday mechanical stress from wind or body movements.
Zinc oxide, both in macro- and nano- scales, could in principle be used as an electrode in photocatalysis, mainly as an anode in green chemistry applications.
As a photocatalyst, Zinc oxide reacts when exposed to UV radiation and is used in photodegradation reactions to remove organic pollutants from the environment.
Zinc oxide is also used to replace catalysts used in photochemical reactions that would ordinarily require costly or inconvenient reaction conditions with low yields.
Early humans probably used zinc compounds in processed and unprocessed forms, as paint or medicinal ointment; however, their composition is uncertain.
The use of pushpanjan, probably zinc oxide, as a salve for eyes and open wounds is mentioned in the Indian medical text the Charaka Samhita, thought to date from 500 BC or before.
Zinc oxide ointment is also mentioned by the Greek physician Dioscorides (1st century AD).
Galen suggested treating ulcerating cancers with zinc oxide, as did Avicenna in his The Canon of Medicine.
Zinc oxide is used as an ingredient in products such as baby powder and creams against diaper rashes, calamine cream, anti-dandruff shampoos, and antiseptic ointments.
The Romans produced considerable quantities of brass (an alloy of zinc and copper) as early as 200 BC by a cementation process where copper was reacted with zinc oxide.
The zinc oxide is thought to have been produced by heating zinc ore in a shaft furnace.
This liberated metallic zinc as a vapor, which then ascended the flue and condensed as the oxide.
This process was described by Dioscorides in the 1st century AD.
Zinc oxide has also been recovered from zinc mines at Zawar in India, dating from the second half of the first millennium BC.
From the 12th to the 16th century, zinc and zinc oxide were recognized and produced in India using a primitive form of the direct synthesis process.
From India, zinc manufacturing moved to China in the 17th century.
In 1743, the first European zinc smelter was established in Bristol, United Kingdom.
Around 1782, Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau proposed replacing lead white pigment with zinc oxide.
The main usage of zinc oxide (zinc white) was in paints and as an additive to ointments.
Zinc white was accepted as a pigment in oil paintings by 1834 but it did not mix well with oil.
This problem was solved by optimizing the synthesis of Zinc oxide.
In 1845, Edme-Jean Leclaire in Paris was producing the oil paint on a large scale; by 1850, zinc white was being manufactured throughout Europe.
The success of zinc white paint was due to its advantages over the traditional white lead: zinc white is essentially permanent in sunlight, it is not blackened by sulfur-bearing air, it is non-toxic and more economical.
Because zinc white is so "clean" it is valuable for making tints with other colors, but it makes a rather brittle dry film when unmixed with other colors.
For example, during the late 1890s and early 1900s, some artists used zinc white as a ground for their oil paintings. These paintings developed cracks over time.
In recent times, most zinc oxide has been used in the rubber industry to resist corrosion.
In the 1970s, the second largest application of Zinc oxide was photocopying.
High-quality ZnO produced by the "French process" was added to photocopying paper as a filler.
This application was soon displaced by titanium.
Nanostructures of Zinc oxide can be synthesized into a variety of morphologies, including nanowires, nanorods, tetrapods, nanobelts, nanoflowers, nanoparticles, etc.
Nanostructures can be obtained with most above-mentioned techniques, at certain conditions, and also with the vapor–liquid–solid method.
The synthesis is typically carried out at temperatures of about 90 °C, in an equimolar aqueous solution of zinc nitrate and hexamine, the latter providing the basic environment.
Certain additives, such as polyethylene glycol or Zinc oxide, can improve the aspect ratio of the ZnO nanowires.
Doping of the Zinc oxide nanowires has been achieved by adding other metal nitrates to the growth solution.
The morphology of the resulting nanostructures can be tuned by changing the parameters relating to the precursor composition (such as the zinc concentration and pH) or to the thermal treatment (such as the temperature and heating rate).
Production Methods:
At present, used methods are the indirect method for Zinc oxide ingots as raw materials (also known as the French law), zinc ore as raw material direct method (also known as the United States) and wet.
Indirect method reaction equation:2ZnO+O2→2ZnO
The zinc ingots produced by the electrolysis method are heated to 600-700 ° C and melted, placed in a high temperature crucible, melted and vaporized at a temperature of 1250-1300 ° C, introduced into hot air for oxidation, and the resulting zinc oxide is cooled, cyclone separation, the fine particles with a bag to collect, that is, zinc oxide products.
Direct method. Reaction equation: C+O2→CO2
CO2+C→CO
ZnO+CO→Zn(Steam）+CO2
Zn(Steam）+CO+O2→ZnO+CO2
Operation method: Roasted zinc ore powder (or zinc material) and anthracite (or coke quietly), limestone formulated into a ball in the ratio of 1: 0.5: 0.05.
After reduction and smelting at 1300 ℃, the zinc oxide in the ore powder is reduced to zinc vapor, then oxidized by air, and the produced zinc oxide is collected to obtain the zinc oxide product.
Zinc sulfate and sulfuric acid reaction to get zinc sulfate, and then reaction with sodium carbonate and ammonia respectively, the obtained zinc carbonate and zinc hydroxide were used as raw materials to produce zinc oxide.The reaction equation is as follows: Zn+H2SO4→ZnSO4+H2↑
ZnSO4+Na2CO3→ZnCO3+Na2SO4
ZnSO4+2NH3•H2O→Zn(OH)2+(NH4)2SO4
Using zinc carbonate as raw material, after washing, drying, calcining and crushing to obtain products of Zinc Oxide: ZnCO2→ZnO+CO2↑
With zinc hydroxide as raw material, after washing, drying, calcination, precipitation, cooling and crushing to obtain products of Zinc Oxide.
Zn(OH)2→ZnO+H2O
Basic zinc carbonate calcination method: production methods of active zinc oxide are more, Most of the low-grade zinc oxide or zinc ore as raw materials, and reaction with dilute sulfuric acid solution, made of zinc sulfate solution, the solution heated to 80~90 ℃, removing iron and manganese with joining Potassium Permanganate oxide, and then heated to 80℃, adding zinc, replacing the liquid copper, nickel, cadmium, after replacement, for second oxidation removal of impurities with Potassium Permanganate in 80 to 90℃, refined zinc sulfate solution, use soda ash and, until the pH value is 6.8, the formation of basic zinc carbonate, filtered, rinsed to remove the sulfate and excess alkali, and then dried and calcined at 500~550 ℃ to get active zinc oxide.
ZnO+H2SO4→ZnSO4+H2O
3ZrSO4+3Na2CO3+3H2O→ZnCO3.2Zn(OH)2.H2O+3Na2SO4+2CO2↑
ZnCO3.2Zn(OH)2.H2O→3ZnO+C02++3H2O
Uses Of Zinc oxide:
Preparation of Zinc oxide standard solutions.
Zinc oxide is much inferior to Ti02 in hiding power and is therefore used as a white pigment where some of its other properties are valued.
Zinc oxide can, for instance, act as a fungistat in exterior oil paints.
Zinc oxide absorbs UV radiation and will therefore protect organic polymeric binders from photodegradation and reduce chalking.
The largest use of Zinc oxide is as an activator for vulcanization accelerators in natural and synthetic rubber.
Zinc oxide has been used to protect, soothe, and heal the skin.
Zinc oxide provides an excellent barrier to the sun and other irritants.
Zinc oxide is somewhat astringent, anti-septic, and anti-bacterial. When used in sunscreen preparations, it provides both uVA and uVB protection, and can contribute to and/or increase SPF.
At the appropriate particle size, zinc oxide is transparent in the visible light spectrum but opaque in the uVC ranges, thereby avoiding a whitening effect when incorporated into sunscreen preparations.
Zinc oxide is included on the FDA’s list of approved sunscreen chemicals.
It demonstrates an impressive synergistic effect when combined with organic sunscreens.
Zinc oxide is also used when a white color is desired for a product.
Zinc oxide is obtained from zinc ore, a commonly found mineral, and is relatively non-allergenic.
Zinc oxide is utilized in agriculture as a micronutrient fertilizer to correct zinc deficiencies in soil, which helps improve crop yields and plant growth.
In addition, it is used as a food additive in dietary supplements and fortified foods to provide an essential source of zinc, which is necessary for immune function, cell growth, and overall human health.
With its unique combination of chemical stability, non-toxicity, and multifunctional properties, zinc oxide continues to be an invaluable material across multiple scientific, medical, and industrial fields.
Between 50% and 60% of ZnO use is in the rubber industry.
Zinc oxide along with stearic acid is used in the sulfur vulcanization of rubber.
Zinc oxide additives in the form of nanoparticles are used in rubber as a pigment and to enhance its durability, and have been used in composite rubber materials such as those based on montmorillonite to impart germicidal properties.
Zinc oxide is used to treat or prevent minor skin irritations such as burns, cuts, and diaper rash. Some products may be used as a sunscreen.
Ceramic industry consumes a significant amount of zinc oxide, in particular in ceramic glaze and frit compositions.
The relatively high heat capacity, thermal conductivity and high temperature stability of Zinc oxide coupled with a comparatively low coefficient of expansion are desirable properties in the production of ceramics.
Zinc oxide affects the melting point and optical properties of the glazes, enamels, and ceramic formulations.
Zinc oxide as a low expansion, secondary flux improves the elasticity of glazes by reducing the change in viscosity as a function of temperature and helps prevent crazing and shivering. By substituting ZnO for BaO and PbO, the heat capacity is decreased and the thermal conductivity is increased.
Zinc in small amounts improves the development of glossy and brilliant surfaces.
However, in moderate to high amounts, it produces matte and crystalline surfaces.
With regard to color, zinc has a complicated influence.
Zinc oxide is added to paints as a pigment and mold inhibitor and is known as zinc white when it is used as an oil paint by artists.
It is used for cosmetics (ointment to protect nose and lips from ultraviolet sunlight), as a seed treatment, and as a dietary supplement.
Zinc oxide is widely used to treat a variety of skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, itching due to eczema, diaper rash and acne.
Zinc oxide is used in products such as baby powder and barrier creams to treat diaper rashes, calamine cream, anti-dandruff shampoos, and antiseptic ointments.
Zinc oxide is often combined with castor oil to form an emollient and astringent, zinc and castor oil cream, commonly used to treat infants.
It is also a component in tape (called "zinc oxide tape") used by athletes as a bandage to prevent soft tissue damage during workouts.
Zinc oxide is used in semiconductor gas sensors for detecting airborne compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, and volatile organic compounds.
Zinc oxide is a semiconductor that becomes n-doped by adsorption of reducing compounds, which reduces the detected electrical resistance through the device, in a manner similar to the widely used tin oxide semiconductor gas sensors.
Zinc oxide is formed into nanostructures such as thin films, nanoparticles, nanopillars, or nanowires to provide a large surface area for interaction with gasses.
The sensors are made selective for specific gasses by doping or surface-attaching materials such as catalytic noble metals.
Zinc oxide is an incredibly versatile compound that finds applications across a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, rubber manufacturing, ceramics, electronics, and even agriculture.
One of its most well-known uses is in sunscreens, where it acts as a physical UV blocker by forming a protective barrier on the skin that reflects and scatters harmful ultraviolet radiation, thereby preventing sunburns and reducing the risk of skin damage and premature aging.
Due to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, zinc oxide is also a key ingredient in medicated creams, ointments, and powders, including diaper rash creams, acne treatments, and wound healing products, as it helps to protect irritated skin and promote faster recovery.
In the rubber industry, zinc oxide plays a critical role as an activator in the vulcanization process, which strengthens and improves the elasticity, durability, and heat resistance of rubber materials used in the production of tires, conveyor belts, and industrial rubber goods.
The ceramics industry utilizes zinc oxide to enhance the strength, whiteness, and glaze of ceramic tiles, glass, and enamel coatings, making it an essential component in the manufacturing of high-quality decorative and functional ceramic products.
Zinc oxide is also widely used as a pigment in paints, coatings, and plastics due to its excellent opacity, whiteness, and ability to protect surfaces from fungal growth, UV degradation, and corrosion.
In the field of electronics, Zinc oxide is an important semiconductor material that is used in transparent conductive films, piezoelectric devices, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), as well as in the development of advanced nanotechnology applications such as sensors, solar cells, and flexible electronics.
Zinc oxide is used in mouthwash products and toothpastes as an anti-bacterial agent proposed to prevent plaque and tartar formation, and to control bad breath by reducing the volatile gases and volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in the mouth.
Along with zinc oxide or zinc salts, these products also commonly contain other active ingredients, such as cetylpyridinium chloride, xylitol, hinokitiol, essential oils and plant extracts.
Powdered zinc oxide has deodorizing and antibacterial properties.
Zinc oxide, ZnO, is a reactive white pigment prepared by vaporizing metallic zinc at a temperature of about 900°C in the presence of oxygen.
As a pigment, Zinc oxide is basic in nature and can react with certain types of acidic paint resins resulting in the formation of a brittle film on drying.
Formation of such films leads to premature failure of paint.
For this reason as well as because of its low RI,ZnO cannot compete for the hiding power of TiO2.
Consequently, Zinc oxide is rarely used as the sole pigment in modern coatings, although it finds some use in admixture with other pigments.
Zinc oxide is used in exterior house paints as a fungicide and in some can linings as a sulfide scavenger.
The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries use Zinc oxide in powders and ointments because of its bactericidal properties.
Zinc oxide is also used to form dental cements by its reaction with eugenol.
Zinc oxide is used as a raw material for many products: stearates, phosphates, chromates, bromates, organic dithiophosphates, and ferrites (ZnO, MnO, Fe2O3).
It is used as a source of zinc in animal feeds and in electrogalvanization .
Zinc oxide is also used for desulfurizing gases.
Zinc oxide is used primarily for its anti-bacterial and fungicidal properties.
Also, in the United States, ZnO is regarded as a Category I skin protectant and a Category III sunscreen.
The highest purity material is calcined with additives such as Bi2O3 and used in the manufacture of varistors.
The photoconducting properties of ZnO are used in photoreproduction processes.
Doping with alumina causes a reduction in electrical resistance; hence, it can be used in the coatings on the master papers for offset reproduction.
Zinc oxide is used as a catalyst in organic syntheses (e.g., of methanol), often in conjunction with other oxides.
It is present in some adhesive compositions.
Aligned Zinc oxide nanowires on pre-seeded silicon, glass, and gallium nitride substrates have been grown using aqueous zinc salts such as zinc nitrate and zinc acetate in basic environments.
Pre-seeding substrates with Zinc oxide creates sites for homogeneous nucleation of ZnO crystal during the synthesis.
Common pre-seeding methods include in-situ thermal decomposition of zinc acetate crystallites, spin coating of ZnO nanoparticles, and the use of physical vapor deposition methods to deposit ZnO thin films.
Pre-seeding can be performed in conjunction with top down patterning methods such as electron beam lithography and nanosphere lithography to designate nucleation sites prior to growth.
Aligned Zinc oxide nanowires can be used in dye-sensitized solar cells and field emission devices.
The applications of zinc oxide powder are numerous, and the principal ones are summarized below. Most applications exploit the reactivity of the oxide as a precursor to other zinc compounds.
For material science applications, zinc oxide has high refractive index, high thermal conductivity, binding, antibacterial and UV-protection properties.
Consequently, it is added into materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber, lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesive, sealants, concrete manufacturing, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, and fire retardants.
Zinc oxide is a zinc fertilizer.
It is a white powder when cold and yellow when hot, and contains approximately 78% zinc.
Zinc oxide occurs in nature as a reddish-orange colored zincite, and is made by oxidizing hot zinc in air.
It is an amphoteric oxide forming zincates, by reacting with bases and zinc salts with acids.
It is used as a white pigment and as a mild antiseptic in ointments.
An archaic name of zinc oxide is philosopher's wool.
Foliar applications with zinc oxide reduce the foliage damage.
Zinc oxide, applied by way of seed coatings, root dips or tree injections, corrects the zinc deficiency.
Dipping potato seeds in 2% zinc oxide suspension overcomes zinc deficiency satisfactorily.
A similar method is used for pre-plant dipping of the roots of rice seedlings.
Zinc oxide has many uses. By far the most important is in the rubber industry.
Almost half the world’s Zinc oxide is used as an activator for vulcanization accelerators in natural and synthetic rubber.
The reactivity of the Zinc oxide is a function of its specific surface area, but is also influenced by the presence of impurities such as lead and sulfates.
The Zinc oxide also ensures good durability of the vulcanized rubber, and increases its thermal conductivity. The ZnO content is usually 2–5%.
In paints and coatings, zinc oxide is no longer the principal white pigment, although its superb white color is used by artists.
It is used as an additive in exterior paints for wood preservation.
It is also utilized in antifouling and anticorrosion paints.
Zinc oxide improves film formation, durability, and resistance to mildew (having a synergistic effect with other fungicides) because it reacts with acidic products of oxidation and can absorb UV radiation.
In the field of glass, ceramics, and enamels, Zinc oxide is used for its ability to reduce thermal expansion, to lower the melting point, and to increase chemical resistance.
It can also be used to modify gloss or to improve opacity.
Health Hazard Of Zinc oxide:
Exposures to zinc oxide metal fume cause several health disorders.
The symptoms of toxicity include, but are not limited to, fever, chills, muscle ache, nausea, fever, dry throat, cough; lassitude (weakness, exhaustion), metallic taste,
headache, blurred vision, low back pain, vomiting, malaise (vague feeling of discomfort), chest tightness, dyspnea (breathing diffi culty) and decreased pulmonary function.
The overexposure to zinc oxide fumes in workplaces produce symptoms known as metal fume fever or “zinc shakes”; an acute, selflimiting condition.
Chronic exposure to zinc oxide may cause respiratory tract irritation with nasopharyngitis and laryngitis.
Safety Profile Of Zinc oxide:
Moderately toxic to humans by ingestion poison experimentally by intraperitoneal route.
An experimental teratogenother experimental reproductive effects.
Human systemic effects by inhalation of freshly formed fumes: metal fume fever with chills, fever, tightness of chest, cough, dyspnea, and other pulmonary changes.
Mutation data reported.
Has exploded when mixed with chlorinated rubber.
Violent reaction with Mg, linseed oil when heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of ZnO.
Zinc oxide itself is non-toxic; it is hazardous, however, to inhale high concentrations of zinc oxide fumes, such as those generated when zinc or zinc alloys are melted and oxidized at high temperature.
This problem occurs while melting alloys containing brass because the melting point of brass is close to the boiling point of zinc.
Inhalation of zinc oxide, which may occur when welding galvanized (zinc-plated) steel, can result in a malady called metal fume fever.
Zinc Oxide is a safe ingredient and is good for the skin as it is non-toxic and non-comedogenic.
However, it is important to note that some people may have a high sensitivity or allergic reaction to the ingredient.
Therefore, a patch test is highly recommended prior to full usage, especially in the case of sensitive skin.
Additionally, this ingredient is biodegradable and good for the environment, making it quite a popular choice in many formulations.
Zinc Oxide is also vegan and halal.
