Relationship among chemical element properties, bulk additive properties, and crystal structures of binary zinc compounds

Two fundamental chemical element properties, melting point and pseudopotential radii, were found to be strongly correlated not only to the effects of additives in galvanizing but also to the crystal structures of their correspondent binary zinc compounds, based on experimental data from the literature. It was suggested that both the bulk properties (such as galvanizing effects in this study) and crystal structures might be regulated by the same set of constituent chemical element properties. Although most chemical elements, as well as crystal structures of binary compounds, are well investigated and understood, our knowledge of bulk properties of known systems is still less comprehensive. In this study, a correlation between effects of additives in galvanizing, through the behaviors of their correspondent zinc compounds, and two selected chemical element properties was first established, based on available literature data. The selected two element properties were, then, used to correlate to the crystal structures of binary zinc compounds, which will further reveal the relationship between bulk properties and the relevant structures. Predictions of new additives that may enhance the galvanizing process were made, based on the developed correlation. The mechanism of chemical behaviors of constituent elements both in the galvanizing process and in crystal formation might be revealed since only two well-studied chemical element properties were involved in the correlation. It was shown that diffusion might play a key role in both galvanizing and the relevant crystal formation process. This research may provide an interesting approach in the design of new chemicals when there is a lack of bulk property data but a wealth of structural information.