Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) is a fluorescent white to yellowish compound. It occurs naturally as the mineral sphalerite. Zinc sulfide can be prepared by treating solutions of zinc salts with hydrogen sulfide.12

Historically, zinc sulfide was used as a white pigment but has largely been replaced by titanium dioxide. However, it retains its utility due to its luminescent properties when activated with small amounts of other elements like copper, manganese, silver, or arsenic. This makes it valuable in applications such as X-ray screens, luminous dials for clocks and watches, and fluorescent lights. Zinc sulfide also crystallizes in structures like zinc blende and wurtzite, which are common in binary semiconductors.23

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.