Zinc-Aluminum 27 (ZA-27, Z35841)
ZA-27 is a zinc-aluminum alloy. Z35841 is the UNS number for this material. ZA-27 is the common industry name. It has a fairly low density among zinc alloys. In addition, it has a fairly high electrical conductivity and a fairly high heat capacity.
The properties of ZA-27 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-27 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 to 120
Compressive (Crushing) Strength
260 to 370 MPa 37 to 54 x 103 psi
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
78 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
2.0 to 4.5 %
Fatigue Strength
110 to 170 MPa 16 to 25 x 103 psi
Fracture Toughness
20 to 24 MPa-m1/2 18 to 22 x 103 psi-in1/2
Knoop Hardness
120 to 140
Poisson's Ratio
0.27
Rockwell B Hardness
60 to 72
Shear Modulus
31 GPa 4.4 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
230 to 330 MPa 33 to 47 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
400 to 430 MPa 58 to 62 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
260 to 370 MPa 37 to 54 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
130 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
120 °C 260 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
480 °C 900 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
380 °C 710 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.3 %
Specific Heat Capacity
530 J/kg-K 0.13 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
130 W/m-K 72 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
26 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
30 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
53 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
11 % relative
Density
5.0 g/cm3 310 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
4.2 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
80 MJ/kg 34 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
570 L/kg 68 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
8.1 to 18 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
420 to 890 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
8.6 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
28 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
22 to 24 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
24 to 25 points
Thermal Diffusivity
47 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
14 to 15 points
Alloy Composition
| Zn | 69.3 to 73 | |
| Al | 25 to 28 | |
| Cu | 2.0 to 2.5 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.080 | |
| Mg | 0.010 to 0.020 | |
| 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
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