Question

Consider the following statement and choose the correct option.
 Zinc spelter is the purest form of zinc.
A) True
B) False

Answer 1

Hint:Zinc spelter is made combining zinc and lead metals or combining copper and zinc metals. It is the most commercial form of zinc. The purest form of zinc is used in the process of spray galvanizing, mechanical plating, etc.

Complete step by step answer:
Alloy is a combination of metals or the mixture of metal with one or more elements. Zinc spelter is an alloy of zinc and lead that resembles bronze. But zinc spelter is softer and has lower melting point than bronze. Also, it is soft and brittle by nature. Again, it is also the alloy of copper and zinc, which is called brass, where the zinc content is 45%. So, it is an alloy and not the purest form of zinc. So, the above statement is false.
The purest form of zinc is known as “Special High Grade” or SHG, which is 99.995% pure. It is used widely in the process of spray galvanizing, mechanical plating, batteries, friction materials, etc.
Additional information: Zinc spelter is an inexpensive alloy that can be easily cast and was used since the 1860s. It is the most commercial form of zinc that is used in the manufactures of candlesticks, clock cases, light fitting, tableware or dishware, etc.


Note:
One thing we have to remember is that it is not bronze. It can vividly be distinguished from the bronze by observing the untarnished spelter, which is white while bronze is yellow. It only resembles bronze. Also, brass was made by the cementation process (the process of making steel by carburization of iron), which is now replaced by the sputtering process (the direct alloying of copper and zinc metals).