zinc

Hard, brittle, bluish-white, metallic element, atomic number 30, relative atomic mass 65.37. The principal ore is sphalerite or zinc blende (zinc sulphide, ZnS). Zinc is hardly affected by air or moisture at ordinary temperatures; its chief uses are in alloys such as brass, in coating metals (for example, galvanized iron), and in making batteries. Its compounds include zinc oxide, used in ointments (as an astringent) and cosmetics, paints, glass, and printing ink.

Zinc is an essential trace element in most animals; adult humans have 2–3 g/0.07–0.1 oz of zinc in their bodies. There are more than 300 known enzymes that contain zinc.

Zinc has been used as a component of brass since the Bronze Age, but it was not recognized in Europe as a separate metal until the 16th century. It was isolated in 1746 by German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf (1709–1782). The name derives from the shape of the crystals on smelting.