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Formula: Zn
Native element, transition metal
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Specific gravity: 6.9 to 7.2 measured, 7.135 calculated
Hardness: 2
Streak: Slightly greyish
Colour: White metallic
Solubility: Zinc reacts with both acids and alkalis
Melting point: 419.53oC
Boiling point: 910oC
Abundance is 70 parts per million by mass, 22 parts per million by moles in the Earth's crust, and 2 parts per million by mass, 30 parts
per billion by moles in the Solar System (ChC)
Common impurities: Sn,Pb,Cd,Fe,Mn,B,Si,Cu,Ag,Ca,Ba
Environments:
Hydrothermal environments
Volcanic exhalations
The Moon a single microscopic particle
Zinc seldom occurs in the native state, but it has been found in oxidised sphalerite, as
volcanic exhalations, and in platinum concentrates (Webmin). The main ores of zinc are
sphalerite, smithsonite,
hemimorphite and franklinite
(ChC)
Localities
At the Elsa Mine, Elsa, Galena Hill, Mayo mining district, Yukon, Canada, native zinc occurs in permafrost in the oxidised
zone of lead-zinc-silver deposits, derived from
sphalerite by oxidation. Associated minerals include silver,
sulphur, oxidised sphalerite,
limonite, manganese oxides,
cerussite, anglesite,
freibergite and galena
(HOM).
At Keno Hill, Mayo mining district, Yukon, Canada Keno Hill Canada, native zinc is precipitated from cold brines
(Dana).
At the type locality, the Dulcinea de Llampos Mine, Cachiyuyo de Llampos mining district, Copiapó Province, Atacama, Chile, minor amounts
of metallic zinc and a copper-zinc alloy have been found. These phases occur in
association with native copper, and are products of the oxidation of
sphalerite intergrown with supergene
djurleite. The djurleite formed by the replacement of
chalcopyrite and pyrite during
supergene sulphide enrichment. Rims of native
copper, intergrown with cuprite, developed through
replacement in situ of djurleite in the course of subsequent oxidation, and now surround
masses of hypogene and supergene
sulphides. The sphalerite, which occurs in
hypogene chalcopyrite and
pyrite, exhibits microscopically sharp contacts with the
djurleite, and has been replaced only to a minor extent by
djurleite. The zinc-bearing alloys are restricted to within 200 pm of
sphalerite which extends to the outer boundaries of the
djurleite zones, and are greatly subordinate to the native
copper. Aggregates of grains of native zinc, not exceeding 15 pm in diameter, are surrounded
successively by narrow discontinuous rims of a copper-zinc alloy, and by native
copper. The zinc alloys in the assemblages probably owe their preservation to insulation
from supergene solutions and oxidate phases by the surrounding native
copper
(AM 55.1019-1021).
At the Elbrus mountain, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, native zinc occurs as coatings on fibrous volcanic glass, as a volcanic
sublimate
(HOM).
From the Luna 24 landing site, Mare Crisium, The Moon, a single particle from the Lunar regolith about 1 micron in diameter has been recovered
(Mindat).
Zinc-bearing minerals include:
Alloys
bortnikovite
Sulphides
ishiharaite
kësterite
pirquitasite
richardsite
sphalerite
zincobriartite
Oxides
ecandrewsite
franklinite
hetaerolite
tululite
zincite
Carbonates
aurichalcite
brianyoungite
hydrozincite
minrecordite
rosasite
smithsonite
Sulphates
glaucocerinite
goslarite
hauckite
namuwite
schulenbergite
serpierite
torreyite
Phosphates
flurlite
hopeite
parahopeite
phosphophyllite
schoonerite
spencerite
tarbuttite
zincolibethenite
Arsenates
adamite
austinite
gaitite
goldhillite
holdenite
ianbruceite
keyite
kolicite
köttigite
kraisslite
legrandite
o'danielite
paradamite
philipsburgite
stranskiite
tsumcorite
wallkilldellite
warikahnite
zincroselite
Antimonates
yeatmanite
Arsenites
leiteite
Nesosilicates
clinohedrite
esperite
hodgkinsonite
larsenite
Sorosilicates
hardystonite
samfowlerite
Phyllosilicates
hendricksite
sauconite
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