“Spelter” used often synonymously with “zinc”, is actually the impure metal but with lead impurities: Process And Apparatus For Obtaining Spelter And Other Products By The Treatment Of Zinc Ores (1887).
Spelter is used for ornamental statuettes like these spelter Marley Horse figures.
There are several thousand patent applications for zinc alloys.
Zinc coatings are used to protect other metals such as iron from corroding. The electroplating process of applying zinc coatings is called “galvanising “: An Improved Process for the Electro-deposition of Zinc (1912).
You often read of “galvanised zinc” items such as buckets etc.; more often than not, the zinc coating is achieved by dipping the item in molten zinc, taking it out, letting the excess drip off and allowing to cool: An improved method and means for coating metal articles with zinc specially applicable to coating metal window frames (1937). Products from this hot-dip process are often wrongly called “galvanised zinc”.
Zinc oxide has many uses: as ointment for wounds and injuries (A Procedure For Obtaining A Zinc Oxide Containing Product For Skin-Healing, Care And Protection In Children And Adults (2001)), in paint (Method Of Making Zinc Oxide Paint (1902), as a rubber additive (Improvements In Or Relating To Zinc Oxide (1926)), in polymers (Process for the treatment of acrylonitrile polymer filaments and products resultingtherefrom (1964)), in cosmetics (Flaky Powder Of Zinc Oxide And Its Composition For External Use (1989)), and in soaps, detergents, and surfactants (Zinc oxide containing surfactant solution (2005)).
“Luminescent “is a general term for materials which emit light in response to being stimulated by light. “Fluorescent” refers to materials that emit light only when being stimulated by light. “Phosphorescent” refers to materials which continue to emit light after the stimulating light source has been removed.
Zinc Sulfide preparations can be fluorescent (Yellow Luminous Zinc Sulfide Fluorescent Substance (1978)), or phosphorescent (A process for the production of phosphorescent zinc sulphide (1924)).
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All patent information has been obtained from Espacenet (European Patent Office).