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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

Zinc (Zn)Zn 94.3 to 95.7
Aluminum (Al)Al 3.5 to 4.3
Copper (Cu)Cu 0.7 to 1.3
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0.025 to 0.080
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.1
Silicon (Si)Si 0 to 0.030
Nickel (Ni)Ni 0 to 0.020
Lead (Pb)Pb 0 to 0.0050
Cadmium (Cd)Cd 0 to 0.0050
Tin (Sn)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