Since the 18th century, zinc has been commonly used as a building material for covering roofs and facades. For construction applications, the zinc used is usually in sheet form of 99.9%+ purity but with very small concentrations of titanium and copper…
Perhaps zinc’s best known benefit is its ability to keep away corrosion. Due to iron and steel (an alloy of iron and carbon), people have this general idea that metals used for construction are prone to moisture and rust. That is not so with materials made from zinc. That’s because zinc forms a thin layer called patina.
Individuals and companies are always looking for ways to reduce energy costs and reduce or eliminate harmful impact to the environment. Zinc is great for eco-friendly construction for two reasons. Once, it requires less energy for production than other metals, such as aluminum and copper, due to its lower melting point. And two, zinc is complexly recyclable, since it can be produced from recycled materials taken from demolished or re-roofed structures.
