Zamak 3 vs. ZA-12
Both Zamak 3 and ZA-12 are zinc alloys. They have a moderately high 92% of their average alloy composition in common.
For each property being compared, the top bar is Zamak 3 and the bottom bar is ZA-12.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness | 83 | |
89 to 100 |
Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa | 410 | |
230 to 270 |
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 86 | |
83 |
Elongation at Break, % | 11 | |
1.6 to 5.3 |
Fatigue Strength, MPa | 48 | |
73 to 120 |
Fracture Toughness, MPa-m1/2 | 12 | |
14 to 15 |
Knoop Hardness | 110 | |
110 to 130 |
Poisson's Ratio | 0.25 | |
0.26 |
Rockwell B Hardness | 50 | |
56 to 63 |
Shear Modulus, GPa | 33 | |
33 |
Shear Strength, MPa | 210 | |
240 to 300 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 280 | |
260 to 400 |
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa | 210 | |
210 to 320 |
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g | 120 | |
120 |
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 95 | |
100 |
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C | 390 | |
430 |
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 380 | |
380 |
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage, % | 1.2 | |
1.3 |
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 410 | |
450 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 110 | |
120 |
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 27 | |
24 |
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS | 27 | |
28 |
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS | 38 | |
42 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price, % relative | 11 | |
11 |
Density, g/cm3 | 6.4 | |
6.0 |
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material | 3.0 | |
3.4 |
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg | 57 | |
64 |
Embodied Water, L/kg | 380 | |
440 |
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 | 28 | |
4.0 to 20 |
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 | 260 | |
260 to 620 |
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 7.5 | |
7.6 |
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 23 | |
24 |
Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 12 | |
12 to 19 |
Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 15 | |
15 to 20 |
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 43 | |
43 |
Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 8.6 | |
9.4 to 14 |
Alloy Composition
Aluminum (Al), % | 3.5 to 4.3 | |
10.5 to 11.5 |
Cadmium (Cd), % | 0 to 0.0050 | |
0 to 0.0060 |
Copper (Cu), % | 0 to 0.25 | |
0.5 to 1.2 |
Iron (Fe), % | 0 to 0.1 | |
0 to 0.075 |
Lead (Pb), % | 0 to 0.0050 | |
0 to 0.0060 |
Magnesium (Mg), % | 0.020 to 0.060 | |
0.015 to 0.030 |
Nickel (Ni), % | 0 to 0.020 | |
0 to 0.020 |
Silicon (Si), % | 0 to 0.030 | |
0 to 0.060 |
Tin (Sn), % | 0 to 0.0030 | |
0 to 0.0030 |
Zinc (Zn), % | 95.3 to 96.5 | |
87.1 to 89 |