Zamak is an alloy
Zamak is a non-ferrous (there is no iron in) alloy. Approximately ninety percent of this alloy consists of zinc. In addition, a number of other components have been added to the Zamak alloy. Aluminum and copper are the most important elements of this. The composition of the stuff has also given the originally German name of the alloy: Zink, Aluminium, Magnesium en Kupfer (= buyer).
The percentage of application of these additional components depends on the application of Zamak.
Properties of Zamak
Its melting point is quite low, making the material unsuitable for use above a temperature of 120 degrees. The great advantage of the low melting temperature is that Zamak can be melted easily. Zamak also has a low viscosity in the molten state. This allows it to be cast in good and fine detail, even in products with a small wall thickness. However, Zamak also has its drawbacks. First, zinc is a fairly base metal. And the alloy is therefore quite sensitive to stress corrosion cracking. A Zamak part can become just as pockmarked as the face of the late President Sukarno was. The alloy also contains very small air bubbles. That is a drawback. That is why Zamak often has to be reworked.
In the beginning
Zamak was used at the beginning of the 20th century. It was then widely used in images in addition to applications in technology. Zamak is cheaper than bronze. It was therefore also called 'poor people's bronze'. Therefore, sculptures from the mass production of Zamak in particular were produced. Think 'between art & kitsch', but more towards the kitsch side.
In the car corner, the stuff was valued for the design and manufacture of door handles and all kinds of ornaments and other beautiful makers. For example, the headlight outer rings of Lancia's Flavia PF Coupe and other cars were made of it. But also grilles, mirrors, gas pumps and carburetors were made from Zamak. And that is precisely where we are now seeing strongly affected parts.
Zamak still has a weak point for more or less mechanically stressed use: It is brittle and rather easy to break. Repairing Zamak is sort of hardly or not at all. Of course there were soon people who patched up such a damaged part, pulled a mold from it, refilled the mold with wax, poured the wax into plaster, lit the wax to fill the cavity with the molten alloy.
Pouring cire perdu
This is called producing with the lost wax core method and is a traditionally accepted way of doing things in sculptor circles. Thanks to the low melting temperature of the Zamak you could very easily pour your own replicas. NOT !!! Due to the shrinkage during cooling, the new castings became noticeably and measurably smaller than the original.
Dinky Toys were also made from Zamac.
Application of Zamak nowadays
This cheap alloy is still used today. For example, it is used in casting parts for model cars or model kits. The product is also used in various types of hinges and locks. The material can be chromed well. In addition, Zamak is used in carburettors and the weights used to balance the wheels of a car are often made of Zamak. These are not made of lead because that is no longer allowed in the European Union.