Zinc

Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It has an atomic weight of 65.38 u and a density of 7.14 g/cm3. Zinc has a melting point of 419.53°C and a boiling point of 907°C. It primarily exists in the +2 oxidation state. The main zinc ores are sphalerite (ZnS) and smithsonite (ZnCO3) which are processed by roasting and smelting to produce zinc metal.

Zinc has vital uses across many areas of electronics. It is employed to galvanize other metals like iron to prevent rust and corrosion. Galvanized steel is utilized for electronic equipment housings, braces, and hardware. Zinc is also alloyed with copper to form brass which has applications in electrical contacts and hardware. Additionally, zinc is a key component of zinc-carbon batteries, which are inexpensive primary batteries useful for low-drain electronics.

In semiconductors, zinc is doped with gallium and arsenic to form the zinc selenide base for blue laser diodes. Zinc oxide has applications in LED lighting, thin film transistors, piezoelectric transducers, and more. Zinc sulfide is used in CRTs and X-ray detector screens. Furthermore, zinc is alloyed with aluminum for die casting of electronics components. Overall, zinc is a versatile metallic element with a diverse array of uses across electronics.