Die Cast Zinc-Aluminum 12
Die cast ZA-12 is ZA-12 in the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. It has the highest strength and highest ductility compared to the other variants of ZA-12. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare die cast ZA-12 to: zinc-aluminums (top), all zinc alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness
100
Compressive (Crushing) Strength
270 MPa 39 x 103 psi
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
83 GPa 12 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
5.3 %
Fatigue Strength
120 MPa 17 x 103 psi
Fracture Toughness
14 MPa-m1/2 13 x 103 psi-in1/2
Knoop Hardness
130
Poisson's Ratio
0.26
Rockwell B Hardness
63
Shear Modulus
33 GPa 4.8 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
300 MPa 43 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
400 MPa 59 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
320 MPa 46 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
120 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
100 °C 220 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
430 °C 810 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
380 °C 710 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.3 %
Specific Heat Capacity
450 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 67 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
28 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
42 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
11 % relative
Density
6.0 g/cm3 380 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.4 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
64 MJ/kg 28 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
440 L/kg 52 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
20 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
620 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.6 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
24 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
19 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
20 points
Thermal Diffusivity
43 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
14 points
Alloy Composition
| Zn | 87.1 to 89 | |
| Al | 10.5 to 11.5 | |
| Cu | 0.5 to 1.2 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.075 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.060 | |
| Mg | 0.015 to 0.030 | |
| Ni | 0 to 0.020 | |
| Pb | 0 to 0.0060 | |
| Cd | 0 to 0.0060 | |
| Sn | 0 to 0.0030 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Further Reading
EN 12844: Zinc and zinc alloys - Castings - Specifications
Corrosion and Electrochemistry of Zinc, Xiaoge Gregory Zhang, 1996
ASTM B86: Standard Specification for Zinc and Zinc-Aluminum (ZA) Alloy Foundry and Die Castings
Corrosion Resistance of Zinc and Zinc Alloys, Frank C. Porter, 1994
Zinc Handbook: Properties, Processing, and Use In Design, Frank C. Porter, 1991
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993