![](1.jpg)
Zinc is a naturally occurring, lustrous, bluish-white metallic element. Commonly it appears dull in many applications although in some it has a silvery appearance. It is the 24th most common element in the earth’s crust and it is essential for human growth (e.g. zinc deficiency in humans can cause birth defects, lead to delayed healing, cause skin irritation and loss of the sense of taste, to name a few). Zinc prevents rusting or corrosion of steel when applied as a protective surface coating by galvanising (electro-plating). Corroding steel loses surface flakes that detach and expose more steel to corrosion. Coating steel with zinc oxide provides a continuous surface layer that protects steel from corrosion. Zinc is also very malleable, making it an easy mineral to cast into many shapes.