Chemistry

Describe Occurrence and Principles of Extraction of Zinc

Zinc: The ancient used an alloy of Zn and Cu not very different from brass without knowing its actual composition. Zinc has been known in our country for a long time and has been mentioned in Ayurvedic treatises as yashda. It is commonly called jast.

Atomic mass: 65.37;   Valence: 2

Atomic number: 30;    Symbol: Zn

Position in the periodic table: Period Number -4, Group Number -12.

Occurrence

Zinc does not occur in the native form since it is a reactive metal. However, in the combined state, zinc is widely distributed.

Ores

The important ores of zinc are

i) Zinc blende, ZnS

ii) Calamine, ZnCO3

iii) Zincite, ZnO

The chief ore of Zinc is Zinc blende.