The characteristics and differences of aluminum alloy and zinc alloy

- 2021-12-22-

In the market, the application fields of alloys are very wide. Among them, aluminum alloy is one of the most basic alloy materials, and zinc alloy also has very unique advantages. The so-called alloy material is a combination of two or more elements that are alive.

Compared with pure element materials, alloys have more obvious advantages in hardness, strength, and corrosion resistance. Therefore, they are used in the market. It is also more extensive, let's introduce the characteristics and differences of aluminum alloy and zinc alloy.



Characteristics and application of aluminum alloy is as below.

Aluminum alloy is a relatively widely used product on the market, and it is the most widely used non-ferrous metal structural material in the industry. The most common ones are aluminum alloy doors and windows, etc. All kinds of aircraft use aluminum alloy as the main structural material. In Sunbirhgt's machining parts process, the raw material of  aluminium alloy is always used in the radiator parts  such as Precision aluminum alloy die casting radiator.  The skins, beams, ribs, stringers, bulkheads and landing gear on the aircraft can all be made of aluminum alloy. Depending on the purpose of the aircraft, the amount of aluminum used varies. 

Aluminum alloy is a general term for a large class of alloys based on aluminum. Among them, the composition of aluminum is relatively high. Other alloying elements can be added with copper, silicon, magnesium, zinc, manganese, etc., and some iron, titanium, Chromium, and other elements.

The characteristics of aluminum alloy are very obvious. The density of aluminum alloy is low, but the strength is relatively high, which is close to or exceeds that of high-quality steel. It has good plasticity and can be processed into various profiles. It has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. It is widely used in the industry. The amount of usage is second only to steel.

In addition to the classification of aluminum alloys according to the added elements, they can also be divided into two categories: cast aluminum alloys and wrought aluminum alloys. Among them, wrought aluminum alloys play an important role in many heavy industry fields.



Characteristics and application fields of zinc alloy is as below.

Similar to the principle of aluminum alloy, zinc alloy is an alloy composed of zinc and other elements added. This kind of alloy puts more emphasis on the characteristics of zinc, and there are many alloying elements that can be added. Commonly added alloying elements are aluminum, copper, magnesium, cadmium, lead, titanium and other low-temperature zinc alloys. 

The characteristics of the processed zinc alloy are also very obvious. The zinc alloy has a low melting point, good fluidity, easy welding, brazing and plastic processing, corrosion resistance in the atmosphere, easy recovery and remelting of residual waste, and high recovery. Utilization value and utilization rate; but the creep strength is low, and it is prone to dimensional changes caused by natural aging. Prepared by melting method, die-casting or pressure-processed into material. The zinc alloys on the market have the characteristics of high specific gravity, good casting performance, smooth casting surface, no corrosion, good mechanical properties, low melting point, and good wear resistance.

Like aluminum alloys, zinc alloys can also be divided into two major categories: deformable zinc alloys and cast zinc alloys. The zinc alloys on the market have the characteristics of high specific gravity, good casting performance, smooth casting surface, no corrosion, good mechanical properties, low melting point, and good wear resistance. Most of them are used for exterior parts, such as new zinc alloy anti-theft windows; luxury zinc alloy cars, etc.  In Sunbright's machining parts for Portable Zinc Alloy Metal Handled Massage is the popular application.  



Advantages and disadvantages of aluminum alloy is as below. 


Advantages: aluminum alloy has low density, but relatively high strength, close to or exceeds high-quality steel, good plasticity, can be processed into various profiles, has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, is widely used in industry, and the amount of use is second after the steel. 

Disadvantages: In the production process of aluminum alloy, casting defects such as shrinkage cavity, blisters, pores and slag inclusion are prone to appear. Low-temperature zinc alloys such as cadmium, lead, and titanium. Aluminum alloys belong to the aluminum-copper-magnesium series and generally contain a small amount of manganese. 



Advantages and disadvantages of zinc alloys is as below. 


Advantages: Cast zinc alloy has good fluidity and corrosion resistance, and is suitable for die-casting instruments, auto parts shells, etc.

Disadvantages: The most common defect of zinc alloy die castings is surface blistering.



The difference of AL alloy and Zn alloy in process is as below.


1. The melting temperature of the two alloys is different during processing. The temperature of zinc alloy is more than 400 degrees, and that of aluminum alloy is more than 700 degrees.
2. The processing equipment is different, although they are all called die-casting machines, they are not universal at all.
3. The processing technology and parameters are different.

The difference in mechanical properties is as below.


Zinc alloy hardness 65-140, tensile strength 260-440
Aluminum alloy hardness 45-90, tensile strength 120-290
The overall zinc alloy has higher hardness and higher tensile strength than aluminum alloy.


In general, aluminum alloys and zinc alloys are both important types of alloys in the market. There are some differences in performance characteristics between the two, so they can be used in different fields and both play a very important role.