Die Cast Zinc-Aluminum 8
Die cast ZA-8 is ZA-8 in the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare die cast ZA-8 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
250 MPa 37 x 103 psi
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
86 GPa 12 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
8.0 %
Fatigue Strength
100 MPa 15 x 103 psi
Fracture Toughness
13 MPa-m1/2 11 x 103 psi-in1/2
Knoop Hardness
130
Poisson's Ratio
0.26
Rockwell B Hardness
65
Shear Modulus
34 GPa 4.9 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
280 MPa 40 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
370 MPa 54 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
290 MPa 42 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
110 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
100 °C 210 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
400 °C 760 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
380 °C 710 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.1 %
Specific Heat Capacity
440 J/kg-K 0.1 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 66 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
28 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
40 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
11 % relative
Density
6.3 g/cm3 390 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.3 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
62 MJ/kg 26 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
420 L/kg 50 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
28 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
490 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.5 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
23 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
17 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
18 points
Thermal Diffusivity
42 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 points
Alloy Composition
| Zn | 89.7 to 91.2 | |
| Al | 8.0 to 8.8 | |
| Cu | 0.8 to 1.3 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.075 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.045 | |
| 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
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
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015