Die Cast ZA-12 vs. Zamak 3
Both die cast ZA-12 and Zamak 3 are zinc alloys. Both are furnished in the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. They have a moderately high 92% of their average alloy composition in common.
For each property being compared, the top bar is die cast ZA-12 and the bottom bar is Zamak 3.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
| Brinell Hardness | 100 | |
| 83 |
| Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa | 270 | |
| 410 |
| Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 83 | |
| 86 |
| Elongation at Break, % | 5.3 | |
| 11 |
| Fatigue Strength, MPa | 120 | |
| 48 |
| Fracture Toughness, MPa-m1/2 | 14 | |
| 12 |
| Knoop Hardness | 130 | |
| 110 |
| Poisson's Ratio | 0.26 | |
| 0.25 |
| Rockwell B Hardness | 63 | |
| 50 |
| Shear Modulus, GPa | 33 | |
| 33 |
| Shear Strength, MPa | 300 | |
| 210 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 400 | |
| 280 |
| Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa | 320 | |
| 210 |
Thermal Properties
| Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g | 120 | |
| 120 |
| Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 100 | |
| 95 |
| Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C | 430 | |
| 390 |
| Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 380 | |
| 380 |
| Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage, % | 1.3 | |
| 1.2 |
| Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 450 | |
| 410 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 120 | |
| 110 |
| Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 24 | |
| 27 |
Electrical Properties
| Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS | 28 | |
| 27 |
| Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS | 42 | |
| 38 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
| Base Metal Price, % relative | 11 | |
| 11 |
| Density, g/cm3 | 6.0 | |
| 6.4 |
| Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material | 3.4 | |
| 3.0 |
| Embodied Energy, MJ/kg | 64 | |
| 57 |
| Embodied Water, L/kg | 440 | |
| 380 |
Common Calculations
| Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 | 20 | |
| 28 |
| Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 | 620 | |
| 260 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 7.6 | |
| 7.5 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 24 | |
| 23 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 19 | |
| 12 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 20 | |
| 15 |
| Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 43 | |
| 43 |
| Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 14 | |
| 8.6 |
Alloy Composition
| Aluminum (Al), % | 10.5 to 11.5 | |
| 3.5 to 4.3 |
| Cadmium (Cd), % | 0 to 0.0060 | |
| 0 to 0.0050 |
| Copper (Cu), % | 0.5 to 1.2 | |
| 0 to 0.25 |
| Iron (Fe), % | 0 to 0.075 | |
| 0 to 0.1 |
| Lead (Pb), % | 0 to 0.0060 | |
| 0 to 0.0050 |
| Magnesium (Mg), % | 0.015 to 0.030 | |
| 0.020 to 0.060 |
| Nickel (Ni), % | 0 to 0.020 | |
| 0 to 0.020 |
| Silicon (Si), % | 0 to 0.060 | |
| 0 to 0.030 |
| Tin (Sn), % | 0 to 0.0030 | |
| 0 to 0.0030 |
| Zinc (Zn), % | 87.1 to 89 | |
| 95.3 to 96.5 |