Zamak 5 (ASTM AC41A, Z35531, Mazak 5) Zinc Alloy
Zamak 5 is a zinc-aluminum alloy. Cited properties are appropriate for the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. AC41A is the ASTM designation for this material. Z35531 is the UNS number. And Zamak 5 is the common industry name.
It has a very low electrical conductivity and a moderately high tensile strength among zinc alloys.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare Zamak 5 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
92
Compressive (Crushing) Strength
600 MPa 87 x 103 psi
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
87 GPa 13 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
6.3 %
Fatigue Strength
56 MPa 8.2 x 103 psi
Knoop Hardness
120
Poisson's Ratio
0.25
Rockwell B Hardness
57
Shear Modulus
33 GPa 4.8 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
260 MPa 38 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
330 MPa 48 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
240 MPa 35 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
120 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
95 °C 200 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
390 °C 730 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
380 °C 720 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.2 %
Specific Heat Capacity
410 J/kg-K 0.1 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
110 W/m-K 64 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
27 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
26 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
37 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
12 % relative
Density
6.4 g/cm3 400 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.0 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
57 MJ/kg 25 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
380 L/kg 45 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
19 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
330 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.5 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
23 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
14 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
16 points
Thermal Diffusivity
42 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
9.9 points
Alloy Composition
| Zn | 94.3 to 95.7 | |
| Al | 3.5 to 4.3 | |
| Cu | 0.7 to 1.3 | |
| Mg | 0.025 to 0.080 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Ni | 0 to 0.020 | |
| Pb | 0 to 0.0050 | |
| Cd | 0 to 0.0050 | |
| Sn | 0 to 0.0030 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
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