Group 12 element

The 12th group of the periodic table contains the elements zinc, cadmium and mercury and the element 112 copernicium, which was first produced in 1996. Zinc occurs with a relative abundance of 7 × 10-3 % in the Earth's crust, cadmium with 2 × 10-5 %. The group is often referred to as the zinc group or the 2nd subgroup (as IIB according to CAS). Often the elements of the zinc group occur as sulfides. One speaks then also of zinc blends. To obtain the elements, the sulfides are first roasted, then reduced with carbon and finally distilled.

·         The metals