Mechanical Properties

The mechanical properties of zinc alloy diecastings depend not only on alloy composition but also on
casting conditions that affect the cooling rate. Conditions that promote rapid cooling in the die give the
highest strength and hardness. Hence thin wall sections are proportionally stronger than thick. The tensile
properties in the table of “Nominal Properties” below represent typical values for a sound casting around
2mm thick. Properties at different thicknesses can be judged from subsequent tables. The nominal
properties are “original” values measured about five to eight weeks after casting. Properties change over
time; very slowly at ambient temperatures, or more quickly at elevated temperatures. For alloys ZP3, ZP5
and ZP8 tensile strength and hardness decline while elongation increases. The elongation figure for ZP2
tends to fall over the first few weeks or months of room temperature ageing, after which it begins to
increase slowly.

The relative performance of zinc alloys and other common materials are shown in the “Comparison with
Alternative Materials” section.

The properties in the various tables below were obtained from a variety of different studies using test
specimens of differing designs made under differing conditions. Caution should be taken when comparing
the results from different sets of results unless the test specimens and test conditions are identical.
Nevertheless despite the potentially wide differences in the casting conditions used for the various
specimens tested, the as cast tensile strengths are surprisingly consistent for specimens of similar
thickness. It should be born in mind however that the various investigators would have made sure that the
test specimens were “sound”. Practically all zinc alloy diecastings contain some porosity, and “sound” is
therefore not an absolute term. In zinc pressure die-casting, the porosity originates from two sources.
Firstly, from trapped air that is unable to escape from the runner system plus mould which are themselves
sealed and filled by molten metal in milliseconds. Secondly, shrinkage porosity is naturally formed as the
hot liquid metal turns to its cooled solid state. Provided the porosity level is between, say, 1% and 5% and
the individual pores are very small it is not significantly weakening. The actual distribution of porosity is at
least as important as the nominal percentage porosity. As a result designers and diecasters should attempt
to ensure soundness in strength critical areas of castings, porosity elsewhere is not so important, at least
not from a structural integrity point of view.

With the increasing use of computer-aided engineering has come a demand for closer specification of
materials properties. In the past simple statements of strength values were considered adequate without
statement of the specimen dimensions and the test conditions. As a result of this change in demand the
properties of zinc diecasting alloys and many other materials are currently undergoing re-evaluation. In
the tables below those property values that are related to a fully specified test are shown in bold font.

Because zinc is a low melting point material, zinc alloy castings are liable to creep. (Creep is defined as the
time-dependent strain that takes place under constant load.) Where zinc alloy diecastings are to be
employed in situations where they experience long term loading, especially at elevated temperatures, the
effects of creep may need to be taken into account. The creep resistance of alloys ZP8 and ZP2 are
superior to that of ZP5, which in turn is superior to ZP3. Information that will allow estimation of the
amount of creep deformation that will occur to a proposed casting design, under a given set of load,
temperature and design life parameters is included in the Creep Properties section.

Reference 2

Nominal Mechanical Property Values

As Pressure Diecast, Tested at 20o Celsius.

Property values that are related to a fully specified test are shown in bold.

Alloy Short Designation ZP3 ZP5 ZP2 ZP8

Tensile Strength MPa (5) 308 331 397 387
(3) 283 328 359 374
Elongation at break % (5) 5.8 3.4 6.0 3.4

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Elongation at Fmax % (5) 2.3 3.1 2.2 2.5
Yield Stress (0.2% offset) MPa
268 295 361 319
(5)
221 228 NA 320
(3)
Poisson’s Ratio (6) 0.29 0.29 0.29 0.29
Shear Strength MPa (3) 214 262 317 275
Hardness Brinell (306.5-2.5-15) (5) 97 114 130 110
Hardness Brinell (500-10-30) (3) 82 91 100 103
Impact Energy Joules (6.3mm x 6.3mm bar)(5) 46 52 38 NA
(6.3mm x 6.3mm bar) (1) 58 65 48 42
Young’s Modulus GPa (Instantaneous) (6) 96 96 96 96
(4) 85 85 85 85
Compressive Yield Stress (0.1% offset), MPa (3) 414 600 641 ~600
8
Fatigue Strength, 5x10 cycles, MPa (3) 48 57 59 51.5

References:

(3) Engineering Properties of Zinc Alloys

International Lead Zinc Research Organization, Inc. Third Edition August –1988
(4) DeZign (025)
(5) Umicore R&D
Tensile test conditions: Specimens 1.5 mm thickness, cooled in air, aged 8 weeks, Lo 70 mm.
Test speed 10mm/min, Temperature.20°C, average of 10 tests.
Hardness tests performed on the surface of a 1.5mm thick cast specimen.
(6) Umicore R&D/Brescia Univ.

Reference 5

Mechanical Properties vs Test Temperature

Tensile Strength (MPa) vs Test Temperature

Thickness 1.5 mm, Ageing 8 weeks, Lo 70mm,
Test speed 10mm/min, Specimen cooled in air

Temperature
o ZP3 ZP5 ZP2 ZP8
Celsius
80 218 232 296 260
60 260 277 338 308
40 293 317 376 356
20 308 331 397 387
0 340 347 431 406
-20 345 365 449 412
-40 360 368 443 422

The above table is illustrated graphically below

1-2
Reference 5

The Effect of Test Temperature on the

Mechanical Properties of Alloys ZP3 and ZP5

Temperature
Property o ZP3 ZP5
Celsius
95 200 250
40 250 300
UTS MPa 20 280 340
0 300 380
-40 320 380
95 15 12
40 8 6
Elongation % F break 20 5 4
0 4.5 4
-40 2.5 1.5
95 135 143
2
Impact Strength J/cm 40 140 150
6.18mm square bar Un- 20 140 145
notched 10 100 135
0 25 130

1-3
 -10 11 60
-20 8 12
-40 7 8
70 11 12

Impact Strength J/cm

2 20 2.9 4.1
6.18mm square bar 2mm 0 1.7 2.2
o
45 V notch -25 1.4 1.5
-55 1.2 1.1
95 43 62
40 68 89
20 82 90
Hardness VPN
0 82 100
-20 87 105
-40 91 107

Reference 7

The Effect of Test Temperature on the Impact Strengths of

Alloys ZP3, ZP5 and ZP2

Temperature
Property o ZP3 ZP5 ZP2
Celsius
80 112 103 116
40 106 111 104

Impact Strength J/cm

2 20 116 131 96
6.35mm square bar 0 44 130 55
2
Unnotched (0.40cm ) -10 25
-20 11 13 13
-40 6 6 5
80 13.3 13.6 12
40 11.5 10.9 8.2
2
Impact Strength J/cm 20 5.1 6.9 4.2
6.35mm square bar
o
2mm 45 V notch 0 2.4 2.4 3.2
-20 2.1 1.6 1.75
-40 1.6 1.1 1.5

The Effect of Test Temperature on the Impact Strengths of

Alloys ZP3, ZP5 and ZP2

6.35mm square bar un-notched (0.40cm2)

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6.35mm square bar 2mm 45o V notch

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