Zinc Die-Casting Alloy Ingot (Zamak 3 & Zamak 5)

Zamak 3 (ZL0400 / AG40A) and Zamak 5 (ZL0410 / AC41A) die-casting alloy ingot to EN 1774 and ASTM B240, bought on Al, Cu, Mg and the impurity ceilings

Zamak is the zinc-aluminium die-casting family, and the two grades that make up most of the trade are bought on one alloying difference and one set of impurity ceilings. EN 1774, the European standard for zinc alloy ingot and liquid for foundry purposes, sets Zamak 3 (ZL3, ZL0400, ZnAl4) at 3.8–4.2% aluminium, 0.03% copper maximum, 0.035–0.06% magnesium, and Zamak 5 (ZL5, ZL0410, ZnAl4Cu1) at the same aluminium and magnesium with 0.7–1.1% copper; both cap lead at 0.003%, cadmium at 0.003%, tin at 0.001%, iron at 0.02%, silicon at 0.02% and nickel at 0.001%, with zinc the balance. ASTM B240 is the ingot standard in North America, where Zamak 3 is AG40A (UNS Z35521 as ingot, Z33520 as casting to ASTM B86) and Zamak 5 is AC41A (Z35530 ingot, Z35531 casting); EN 12844 gives the castings their ZP0400 and ZP0410 designations. The ingot standard is written tighter than the casting standard on purpose, so the foundry has process latitude in the pot. Aluminium at about 4% is what makes zinc castable in a hot-chamber machine and sets strength; the copper in Zamak 5 raises tensile strength (331 MPa against 268 MPa for Zamak 3 in published typical values) and hardness at the cost of ductility (3.6% against 6.3% elongation) and long-term dimensional stability; magnesium in the few hundredths of a percent suppresses intergranular corrosion. Lead, cadmium and tin above the ceilings cause that same intergranular corrosion and cracking in service, which is why a die-caster reads the spectrometer certificate per heat before the price. Zamak 3 is the general-purpose grade and makes up over 70% of North American zinc die castings; Zamak 5 is the more common choice in Europe. Zinc alloys in unwrought form are declared under HS 7901.20.

The buyers are hot-chamber die-casters making door and furniture hardware, taps and sanitary fittings, automotive and electrical components, zips, buckles and toys, in the Gulf, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa and Türkiye, and the offer is a price off the LME zinc reference plus an alloying premium for a stated grade, standard and bundle form. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers Zamak 3 and Zamak 5 ingot from primary-metal alloyers and certified secondary producers in Korea, Türkiye, Spain, Peru and China against the spectrometer certificate per heat, the producer's declaration of feed (SHG zinc and primary aluminium, or re-alloyed zinc scrap and returns), a certificate of origin and independent sampling at stuffing by SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek on first shipments. Feed matters: alloy made from Special High Grade zinc and primary aluminium holds the lead and cadmium ceilings by design, while alloy re-melted from mixed die-cast scrap needs its impurities proven heat by heat and prices at a discount. Ingot moves in strapped bundles of about 1 MT in 20-foot containers, weight-limited at about 25 MT a box, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms; minimum lots are confirmed per producer. Send the grade and standard, the impurity limits your castings are qualified to, monthly tonnage and discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

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Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.