Zinc. View of a chunk of the metal zinc, one of the chemical elements. Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal which is malleable and ductile at low temperatures (below 160 degrees celsius), but brittle and easily powdered at higher temperatures. Zinc ores include sphalerite or zinc blende (zinc sulphide), and franklinite (iron-zinc-manganese oxide). It is 24th in abundance among elements in the Earth's crust. Zinc is used in galvanising and in a number of alloys such as brass and bronze. It has the chemical formula Zn, atomic number of 30, and an atomic mass of 65.38.