Zinc sulphide

Zinc sulfide

ZnS powders containing different concentrations of sulfur vacancies
Names
Other names Zincblende Wurtzite
Identifiers
CAS Number	1314-98-3 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.013.866
PubChem	14821
RTECS number	ZH5400000
Properties
Chemical formula	ZnS
Molar mass	97.474 g/mol
Density	4.090 g/cm3
Melting point	1,850 °C (3,360 °F; 2,120 K) (sublime)
Solubility in water	negligible
Band gap	3.54 eV (cubic, 300 K) 3.91 eV (hexagonal, 300 K)
Structure
Crystal structure	see text
Coordination geometry	Tetrahedral (Zn2+) Tetrahedral (S2−)
Thermochemistry
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfHo298)	−204.6 kJ/mol
Hazards
Safety data sheet	ICSC 1627
NFPA 704	0 1 0
Flash point	Non-flammable
Related compounds
Other anions	Zinc oxide Zinc selenide Zinc telluride
Other cations	Cadmium sulfide Mercury sulfide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Y  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Zinc sulfide (or zinc sulphide) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula of ZnS. This is the main form of zinc found in nature, where it mainly occurs as the mineral sphalerite. Although this mineral is usually black because of various impurities, the pure material is white, and it is widely used as a pigment. In its dense synthetic form, zinc sulfide can be transparent, and it is used as a window for visible optics and infrared optics.

ZnS exists in two main crystalline forms, and this dualism is often a salient example of polymorphism. In each form, the coordination geometry at Zn and S is tetrahedral. The more stable cubic form is known also as zinc blende or sphalerite. The hexagonal form is known as the mineral wurtzite, although it also can be produced synthetically. The transition from the sphalerite form to the wurtzite form occurs at around 1020 celsius. A tetragonal form is also known as the very rare mineral called polhemusite, with the formula (Zn,Hg)S.

Zinc sulfide, with addition of few ppm of suitable activator, is used as phosphor in many applications, from cathode ray tubes through X-ray screens to glow in the dark products. When silver is used as activator, the resulting color is bright blue, with maximum at 450 nanometers. Using manganese yields an orange-red color at around 590 nanometers. Copper gives long-time glow, and it has the familiar greenish glow-in-the-dark. Copper-doped zinc sulfide ("ZnS plus Cu") is used also in electroluminescent panels. It also exhibits phosphorescence due to impurities on illumination with blue or ultraviolet light.