Zinc-Aluminum 12 (ZA-12, Z35631)
ZA-12 is a zinc-aluminum alloy. Z35631 is the UNS number for this material. ZA-12 is the common industry name. It has a moderately low density and a moderately high heat capacity among zinc alloys.
The properties of ZA-12 include three common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare 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
89 to 100
Compressive (Crushing) Strength
230 to 270 MPa 33 to 39 x 103 psi
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
83 GPa 12 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
1.6 to 5.3 %
Fatigue Strength
73 to 120 MPa 11 to 17 x 103 psi
Fracture Toughness
14 to 15 MPa-m1/2 13 x 103 psi-in1/2
Knoop Hardness
110 to 130
Poisson's Ratio
0.26
Rockwell B Hardness
56 to 63
Shear Modulus
33 GPa 4.8 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
240 to 300 MPa 35 to 43 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
260 to 400 MPa 38 to 59 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
210 to 320 MPa 30 to 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)
4.0 to 20 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
260 to 620 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.6 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
24 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
12 to 19 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
15 to 20 points
Thermal Diffusivity
43 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
9.4 to 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
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