Sphalerite is roasted to ZnO, then either reduced with carbon in a shaft furnace or dissolved in H2SO4 and electrowon on aluminum cathodes; the world runs mostly on the electrolytic route.
Research Elements Zn · atomic number 30 Transition metal · period 4, group 12 [Ar] 3d10 4s2 Shells: 2, 8, 18, 2 Valence electrons: 2 in the outer shell (4s2), and 10 in 3d10 Green dots are the outer shell's s and p electrons. Softer green dots are the d electrons of transition metals, and the d and f electrons of lanthanides and actinides: they often take part in bonding, but not always. Grey dots are the core. Ground-state configuration from the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (A. Kramida, Yu. Ralchenko, J. Reader and the NIST ASD Team). Abundance is the mole fraction of the element found as that isotope on Earth; digits in parentheses are the uncertainty in the last digits. Masses and abundances from NIST, Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions (J. S. Coursey, D. J. Schwab, J. J. Tsai and R. A. Dragoset, National Institute of Standards and Technology).Zinc
Electrons
How it's obtained
Natural isotopes
Isotope Relative atomic mass Abundance 64Zn 63.92914201(71) 0.4917(75) 66Zn 65.92603381(94) 0.2773(98) 67Zn 66.92712775(96) 0.0404(16) 68Zn 67.92484455(98) 0.1845(63) 70Zn 69.9253192(21) 0.0061(10)