What is Zinc Oxide?
What is Zinc Oxide Used For?
Zinc Oxide, an inorganic compound, has the formula ZnO. It also has different names such as white zinc, Chinese white, zinc flower, and zinc calamine. It has a white solid appearance and is in powder form. Its boiling and melting points have been determined to be 1974. We can say that they belong to the II-IV groups for their conductivity, so they have semiconductor properties. Many products benefit from these properties as well, providing raw materials. Thanks to their semiconductor properties, their transparency is good, their electron mobility is high, their band gap is wide, and their luminescence is strong at room temperature.
Zinc Oxide Sunscreen
Thanks to all these properties, contributions are made to the development of many applications. Furthermore, due to its properties of being insoluble in water and in white powder form, Zinc Oxide has many uses such as in ceramics, plastics, cement, glass, ointments, adhesives, sealants, lubricants, rubber, pigments, flame retardants, first aid tapes, and batteries, etc. Although its solubility in water is very low, it dissolves in many acids such as hydrochloric acid, which is composed of hydrogen and chlorine elements.
Zinc Oxide is used in sunscreens, providing physical protective properties against UVA and UVB rays from the sun that are harmful to the skin. The more it is included in sunscreens, the greater its protection, and this protection is achieved by whitening the skin in proportion to the amount of Zinc Oxide it contains. It is present in sunscreens in quantities ranging from 2% to 20%. At the same time, it provides protection not only for sunscreens but also against rays in the 290-400 nanometer range across various wavelengths, even performing more successfully than chemical filters.
