Zinc is one of the most used metals, ranking fourth in worldwide production and consumption behind iron, aluminum, and copper. This article commences with an overview of the applications of zinc that can be divided into six categories: coatings, casting alloys, alloying element in brass and other alloys, wrought zinc alloys, zinc oxide, and zinc chemicals. It discusses the corrosion and electrochemical behavior of zinc and its alloys in various environments, particularly in atmospheres in which they are most widely used. The article tabulates the corrosion rates of zinc and zinc coatings immersed in various types of waters, in different solutions in the neutral pH range, and in soils at different geographic locations in the United States. It concludes with information on the forms of corrosion encountered in zinc coatings, including galvanic corrosion, pitting corrosion, and intergranular corrosion.

This article is a comprehensive collection of engineering property data in tabulated form for ceramics and glasses. Data are provided for physical and mechanical properties of ceramic materials and color of ceramics fired under oxidizing and reducing conditions. The article also lists the materials characterization techniques for ceramics and glasses.

This article provides information on the properties, compositions, designations, and applications of zinc and zinc alloys. It discusses the principal areas of application of zinc: in coatings and anodes for corrosion protection of irons and steels; in zinc casting alloys; as an alloying element in copper, aluminum, magnesium, and other alloys; in wrought zinc alloys; and in zinc chemicals. The zinc coating applications of hot dip galvanizing, electrogalvanizing, plating, and thermal spray are presented. The use of zinc alloys in both gravity and pressure die castings is discussed as well as the three main types of wrought products: flat-rolled products, wire-drawn products, and extruded and forged products. The article also provides a section on the corrosion resistance of zinc and zinc coatings in various atmospheres.

This article provides a brief discussion on the common types of overlayers that can be used on a metal surface to protect it from corrosion. These overlayers include phosphate, chromate, and chromate-free conversion coatings; hot dip galvanizing; cementitious linings; glass and porcelain enamels; electroplating; thermal spray coatings; and rubber linings.

This article provides information on the compositions of alkaline and acid baths and process parameters for zinc-iron, zinc-cobalt, zinc-nickel, and tin-zinc plating.

This article discusses the classifications, compositions, properties, advantages, disadvantages, limitations, and applications of the most commonly used methods for surface engineering of carbon and alloy steels. These include cleaning methods, finishing methods, conversion coatings, hot-dip coating processes, electrogalvanizing, electroplating, metal cladding, organic coatings, zinc-rich coatings, porcelain enameling, thermal spraying, hardfacing, vapor-deposited coatings, surface modification, and surface hardening via heat treatment.

The use of zinc in corrosion-protective coatings is due to its higher galvanic activity relative to that of steel. Pure zinc dust provides the best sacrificial protection to steel in a galvanic couple. Zinc-rich coatings can be subcategorized according to the type of binder material used, namely, inorganic and organic zinc-rich coatings. Common inorganic binders such as post-cured water-based alkali metal silicates, self-cured water-based alkali metal silicates, and self-cured solvent-based alkyl silicates, are reviewed. The article also compares inorganic and organic zinc-rich coatings, and discusses the concerns regarding zinc-rich coatings.

Steel sheet is often coated in coil form prior to fabrication to save time, reduce production costs, and streamline operations. This article examines the most common precoating methods and provides a metallurgical understanding of how they impact the manufacturability, performance, and service life of the host material. The article covers metallic coatings, including zinc, aluminum, zinc-aluminum alloys, tin, and terne; pretreatment or phosphate coatings; and preprimed and painted finishes based on organic coatings.

This article commences with a description of the applications of galvanized coatings and provides information on metallurgical characteristics, such as coating thickness and alloying elements. It examines the effect of galvanizing process on the mechanical properties of steels and briefly describes the cleaning procedures of iron and steel pieces, before galvanizing. The article discusses the different types of conventional batch galvanizing practices. Information on the galvanizing of silicon-killed steels is also presented. The article concludes with helpful information on batch galvanizing equipment and galvanizing post treatments.

Copper alloys are widely used as electroplated coatings. They can also be used with practically any substrate material that is suitable for electroplating. This article focuses on the solution composition and operating conditions for brass and bronze plating solutions. It describes the decorative and engineering applications of brass and bronze plating. The article also provides information on the treatment of waste water from brass and bronze plating operations.

A coating can be defined as a substance spread over a surface to provide protection or to serve decorative purposes. This article discusses two industrial coating components, namely, nonvolatile components such as the resin or binder, pigments, and any additives that may be incorporated into the formulation; and volatile components such as solvents, or water in emulsions and their composition. It provides general information on volatile organic compounds. The article describes the film-forming mechanisms of various coating types, namely, lacquers, chemically converting coatings, latex coatings, alkyds and other resins, which cure by oxidation, moisture-curing polyurethanes and inorganic zinc primers, and powder coatings. The article concludes with a discussion on the functions of the primer, intermediate coat, and topcoat in coating systems.

Many nonferrous metals, including aluminum, nickel, copper, and others, are among the few materials that do not degrade or lose their chemical or physical properties in the recycling process. As a result, these metals can be recycled an infinite number of times. This article focuses on the recycling of nonferrous alloys, namely, aluminum, copper, magnesium, tin, lead, zinc, and titanium, providing details on the sources, consumption and classification of scrap, and the technological trends and developments in recycling.

This article describes the control of alloy composition and impurity levels in die casting of zinc alloys based on agitation, use of foundry scrap, and melt temperature and fluxing. It reviews the process considerations for the melt processing of the zinc alloys. The process considerations include the usage of furnaces and launder system, scrap return, inclusions in zinc alloys, fluxing of zinc alloys, and galvanizing fluxes. The article discusses the materials and lubricant selection, casting and die temperature control, and trimming process used in hot chamber die casting for zinc alloys. It also reviews other casting processes for zinc alloys, such as sand casting, permanent mold casting, plaster mold casting, squeeze casting, and semisolid casting.