ZAMAK
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ZAMAK is a trademark covering a family of zinc alloys, the primary components of which are zinc, aluminium, magnesium and copper.
The most common ZAMAK alloy today is ZAMAK-3, but ZAMAK-2, ZAMAK-5 and ZAMAK-7 are all still being manufactured. These alloys are used extensively in die casting.
The New Jersey Zinc Company first developed the ZAMAK alloys in the 1920s. The name ZAMAK is an acronym of the German names for the metals of which the alloys are composed: Z for Zink (zinc), A for Aluminium (aluminum), MA for magnesium and K for Kupfer (copper). It is also known as ZAMAC.
One of the more familiar uses of ZAMAK is in making die-cast toys. It is also beginning to be used in automotive wheel balancing weights as a substitute for lead, especially in the European Union. ZAMAK is often called "pot metal" or "white metal".
[edit] Other meanings
Zamak (замък) means a 'castle' in Bulgarian.
[edit] See also
- Mazak - alloy of magnesium, aluminium and zinc.