Zinc Sulfide Formula

Zinc sulphide (also known as zinc sulfide) is a chemical compound having the formula ZnS. This is the most common form of zinc found in nature, which is found mostly in the mineral sphalerite. The pure substance is white, and it is commonly used as a pigment, despite the fact that it is usually black due to numerous impurities. Zinc sulphide can be transparent in its thick synthetic form, and it is utilised as a window for visual and infrared optics.

In this page, we will study the chemical formula of zinc sulphide in detail.

Chemical Formula of Zinc Sulphide

Given below is the structure of the zinc sulphide chemical formula:

S------Zn

Properties of Zinc Sulphide 

Calculation of molar mass: The molecular formula of zinc sulphide is ZnS. Zn has an atomic weight of 65.3 and sulphide has an atomic weight of 32.065. Adding them together will get the atomic weight of ZnS.

Structure of Zinc Sulphide 

There are two primary crystalline forms of ZnS(formula for zinc sulphide), and this dualism is a good illustration of polymorphism. The coordination geometry at Zn and S is tetrahedral in each form. Zinc blende or sphalerite is another name for the more stable cubic form. Wurtzite is the mineral name for the hexagonal form, which can also be made synthetically. At roughly 1020 °C, the shift from sphalerite to wurtzite takes place. A tetragonal form is also known as Polhemus site, a highly uncommon mineral having the formula (Zn, Hg)S.

Applications of ZnS

Luminescent Material

With a few ppm of sufficient activator, zinc sulphide exhibits intense phosphorescence (first observed by Nikola Tesla in 1893) and is now employed in a variety of applications, ranging from cathode ray tubes to X-ray displays to glow in the dark items. The colour produced when silver is used as an activator is a vivid blue, with a maximum wavelength of 450 nanometers. Manganese produces an orange-red colour with a wavelength of roughly 590 nanometers. Copper has a long-lasting glow and a characteristic greenish glow-in-the-dark appearance. Electroluminescent panels also use copper-doped zinc sulphide ("ZnS + Cu"). When illuminated with blue or ultraviolet light, it also exhibits phosphorescence due to impurities.

Optical Material

Zinc sulphide is also employed as an infrared optical material since it transmits wavelengths from visible to little over 12 micrometres. It can be moulded into a lens or utilised planar as an optical window. It's manufactured as microcrystalline sheets from hydrogen sulphide gas and zinc vapour, and it's marketed as FLIR-grade (Forward Looking Infrared) since the zinc sulphide is milky-yellow and opaque. When this substance is hot isostatically pressed (HIPed), it can be transformed to Cleartran, a water-clear form (trademark). Irtran-2 was the name given to the first commercial versions, however, that name is no longer used.

Catalyst

When illuminated, fine ZnS powder acts as a photocatalyst, producing hydrogen gas from water. During the production of ZnS, sulphur vacancies can be added, which gradually changes the white-yellowish ZnS into a brown powder and increases photocatalytic activity by increasing light absorption.

Conclusion

ZnS is the molecular formula of zinc sulphide. The most common form of chemical formula of zinc sulfide that occurred in nature is in the form of mineral Sphalerite. ZnS show a variety of uses as a luminescent material, optical material and photocatalyst.