Industrial zinc oxide is an unorganic substance that is widely used in the rubber industry. This substance is insoluble in water, but soluble in acid. People is more familiar with the use of zinc oxide as one ingredient in beauty products like sunscreen and its benefit to speed up wound recovery. However, the use of zinc oxide isn’t limited to beauty and industrial products. This substance is also commonly used for laboratory activities.
What is Zinc Oxide?
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an unorganic substance that is synthetically produced. It comes in the form of a white powder or sometimes yellowish grey powder. Industrial zinc oxide is used as an additional material to produce cosmetics, supplement, rubber, plastics, glass, ceramics, cement, lubricants, adhesives, sunscreen, pigments, food, batteries, and even semiconductors.
Zinc oxide is also applicable to fight against corrosion in the rubber industry. This unorganic substance slowly reacts with fatty acids in oil. When it is combined with a strong zinc chloride solution, zinc oxide forms a cement-like product identified as zinc hydroxide chloride. Industrial Zinc oxide can absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Also, this substance is not flammable.
This chemical substance has a high refractive index number, making it usable as a white pigment. Moreover, zinc oxide can absorb ultraviolet light below 366 nm well. There are three kinds of zinc oxide, which are white seal, red seal, and pharmaceutical that are marketing to a variety of industries, including cosmetics, tires, paints, ceramics, and pharmacy.
Perks of Zinc Oxide
Zinc oxide is a multifunctional material because it comes with these following benefits:
- High chemical stability.
- High electrochemical coupling coefficient.
- Wide radiation absorption range.
- High photostability.
The Application of Zinc Oxide
More than 50% of zinc oxide is used in the rubber industry to manufacture tires and shoe soles. Zinc oxide is used in rubber vulcanization together with stearic acid. Another use is as a buffer layer in Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar cells. This experiment focuses on the effect of zinc oxide thickness on the maximum power output of the cell. Adding zinc oxide to concrete helps the processing process and increases water resistance.
Some beauty products involve zinc oxide as one ingredient in the formula. Although the FDA stated that the use of this substance will not cause allergic reactions or side effects, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s safe for everyone. So, make sure to consult the doctor first before using products that contain industrial zinc oxide.