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Making Zamak ZA-12 from Zinc

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Lew_Merrick_PE:
According to ILZRO

 The chemical composition of zinc-aluminum ZA12 alloy is given in the following table.
Element    Content (%)
Zinc,Zn    Remainder
Aluminum,Al    11.5
Copper, Cu    1.2
Iron, Fe    0.075
Magnesium, Mn    0.03
Lead, Pb    0.006
Cadmium, Cd    0.006
Tin, Sn    0.003

Does this help?  --  Lew

vtsteam:
Actually, Lew, the iron, lead, cadmium and tin you mention are maximums, ie contaminants. Primary constituents of ZA-12 are the zinc, aluminum, and copper, and a trace of magnesium.

Also per ASTM the aluminum in ZA-12 can range 10.8 - 11.5% and copper 0.5 - 1.2%.

I used 11% and 1% respectively. The aluminum I used probably had some magnesium in it. But all of this is relatively academic when using scrap sources, as I do, eg. copper tubing and my "soft" aluminum round cutoffs from a machine shop.

Nevertheless it cast well, machined well, and I have a 5 year old lathe with similar homemade Zamak "ZA-12" in headstock, carriage, tailstock slide, etc.

vtsteam:
Matt, can't say for sure because I haven't used one, but I think 1260C limit for the pyrometer seems low for iron foundry work. But willing to be corrected!  :wack:

Terry Aspin used the stir stick test -- if a 3/8" steel poker used for stirring the melt comes out with a clump of iron on it, it's too cool. If it comes out shiny and maybe even pointed (from melting) you're good to go!

mattinker:
Steve, it is low for Iron but useful! Good for Bronze brass zinc and Al!

Cheers, Matthew

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