Isotopes of zinc

Naturally occurring zinc (₃₀Zn) is composed of the 5 stable isotopes ⁶⁴Zn, ⁶⁶Zn, ⁶⁷Zn, ⁶⁸Zn, and ⁷⁰Zn with ⁶⁴Zn being the most abundant (48.6% natural abundance). Twenty-eight radioisotopes have been characterised with the most stable being ⁶⁵Zn with a half-life of 243.94 days, and then ⁷²Zn with a half-life of 46.5 hours. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 14 hours and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 1 second. This element also has 10 meta states.

Isotopes of zinc (₃₀Zn)

Main isotopes[1] Decay abun­dance half-life (t1/2) mode pro­duct 64Zn 49.2% stable 65Zn synth 243.94 d β+ 65Cu 66Zn 27.7% stable 67Zn 4% stable 68Zn 18.5% stable 69Zn synth 56 min β− 69Ga 69mZn synth 13.75 h IT 69Zn β− 69Ga 70Zn 0.6% stable 71mZn synth 4.15 h β− 71Ga 72Zn synth 46.5 h β− 72Ga
Standard atomic weight Ar°(Zn)
	65.38±0.02[2] 65.38±0.02 (abridged)[3]
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Zinc has been proposed as a "salting" material for nuclear weapons. A jacket of isotopically enriched ⁶⁴Zn, irradiated by the intense high-energy neutron flux from an exploding thermonuclear weapon, would be transmuted to ⁶⁵Zn. emitting 1.115 MeV^[4] of gamma radiation per decay, significantly increasing the radioactivity of the weapon's fallout for several years. Such a weapon is not known to have ever been built, tested, or used.^[5]

List of isotopes

Nuclide [n 1]	Z	N	Isotopic mass (Da)[6] [n 2][n 3]	Half-life[1] [n 4]	Decay mode[1] [n 5]	Daughter isotope [n 6]	Spin and parity[1] [n 7][n 4]	Natural abundance (mole fraction)
	Excitation energy							Normal proportion[1]	Range of variation
54Zn	30	24	53.99388(23)#	1.8(5) ms	2p	52Ni	0+
55Zn	30	25	54.98468(43)#	19.8(13) ms	β+, p (91.0%)	54Ni	5/2−#
					β+ (9.0%)	55Cu
56Zn	30	26	55.97274(43)#	32.4(7) ms	β+, p (88.0%)	55Ni	0+
					β+ (12.0%)	56Cu
57Zn	30	27	56.96506(22)#	45.7(6) ms	β+, p (87%)	56Ni	7/2−#
					β+ (13%)	57Cu
58Zn	30	28	57.954590(54)	86.0(19) ms	β+ (99.3%)	58Cu	0+
					β+, p (0.7%)	57Ni
59Zn	30	29	58.94931189(81)	178.7(13) ms	β+ (99.90%)	59Cu	3/2−
					β+, p (0.10%)	58Ni
60Zn	30	30	59.94184132(59)	2.38(5) min	β+	60Cu	0+
61Zn	30	31	60.939507(17)	89.1(2) s	β+	61Cu	3/2−
62Zn	30	32	61.93433336(66)	9.193(15) h	β+	62Cu	0+
63Zn	30	33	62.9332111(17)	38.47(5) min	β+	63Cu	3/2−
64Zn	30	34	63.92914178(69)	Observationally Stable[n 8]			0+	0.4917(75)
65Zn	30	35	64.92924053(69)	243.94(4) d	EC (98.579(7)%)	65Cu	5/2−
					β+ (1.421(7)%)[7]
65mZn	53.928(10) keV			1.6(6) μs	IT	65Zn	1/2−
66Zn	30	36	65.92603364(80)	Stable			0+	0.2773(98)
67Zn	30	37	66.92712742(81)	Stable			5/2−	0.0404(16)
67m1Zn	93.312(5) keV			9.15(7) μs	IT	67Zn	1/2−
67m2Zn	604.48(5) keV			333(14) ns	IT	67Zn	9/2+
68Zn	30	38	67.92484423(84)	Stable			0+	0.1845(63)
69Zn	30	39	68.92655036(85)	56.4(9) min	β−	69Ga	1/2−
69mZn	438.636(18) keV			13.747(11) h	IT (99.97%)	69Zn	9/2+
					β− (0.033%)	69Ga
70Zn	30	40	69.9253192(21)	Observationally Stable[n 9]			0+	0.0061(10)
71Zn	30	41	70.9277196(28)	2.40(5) min	β−	71Ga	1/2−
71mZn	157.7(13) keV			4.148(12) h	β−	71Ga	9/2+
					IT?	71Zn
72Zn	30	42	71.9268428(23)	46.5(1) h	β−	72Ga	0+
73Zn	30	43	72.9295826(20)	24.5(2) s	β−	73Ga	1/2−
73mZn	195.5(2) keV			13.0(2) ms	IT	73Zn	5/2+
74Zn	30	44	73.9294073(27)	95.6(12) s	β−	74Ga	0+
75Zn	30	45	74.9328402(21)	10.2(2) s	β−	75Ga	7/2+
75mZn	126.94(9) keV			5# s	β−?	75Ga	1/2−
					IT?	75Zn
76Zn	30	46	75.9331150(16)	5.7(3) s	β−	76Ga	0+
77Zn	30	47	76.9368872(21)	2.08(5) s	β−	77Ga	7/2+
77mZn	772.440(15) keV			1.05(10) s	β− (66%)	77Ga	1/2−
					IT (34%)	77Zn
78Zn	30	48	77.9382892(21)	1.47(15) s	β−	78Ga	0+
					β−, n?	77Ga
78mZn	2673.7(6) keV			320(6) ns	IT	78Zn	(8+)
79Zn	30	49	78.9426381(24)	746(42) ms	β− (98.3%)	79Ga	9/2+
					β−, n (1.7%)	78Ga
79mZn	942(10) keV[8]			>200 ms	β−?	79Ga	1/2+
					IT?	79Zn
80Zn	30	50	79.9445529(28)	562.2(30) ms	β− (98.64%)	80Ga	0+
					β−, n (1.36%)	79Ga
81Zn	30	51	80.9504026(54)	299.4(21) ms	β− (77%)	81Ga	(1/2+, 5/2+)
					β−, n (23%)	80Ga
					β−, 2n?	79Ga
82Zn	30	52	81.9545741(33)	177.9(25) ms	β−, n (69%)	81Ga	0+
					β− (31%)	82Ga
					β−, 2n?	80Ga
83Zn	30	53	82.96104(32)#	100(3) ms	β−, n (71%)	82Ga	3/2+#
					β− (29%)	83Ga
					β−, 2n?	81Ga
84Zn	30	54	83.96583(43)#	54(8) ms	β−, n (73%)	83Ga	0+
					β− (27%)	84Ga
					β−, 2n?	82Ga
85Zn	30	55	84.97305(54)#	40# ms [>400 ns]	β−?	85Ga	5/2+#
					β−, n?	84Ga
					β−, 2n?	83Ga
86Zn[9]	30	56	85.97846(54)#		β−?	86Ga	0+
					β−, n?	85Ga
87Zn[9]	30	57
This table header & footer: view

1. ^mZn – Excited nuclear isomer.
2. ( ) – Uncertainty (1σ) is given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits.
3. # – Atomic mass marked #: value and uncertainty derived not from purely experimental data, but at least partly from trends from the Mass Surface (TMS).
4. # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN).
5. Modes of decay:

   IT:	Isomeric transition
   n:	Neutron emission
   p:	Proton emission

6. Bold symbol as daughter – Daughter product is stable.
7. ( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments.
8. Believed to undergo β⁺β⁺ decay to ⁶⁴Ni with a half-life over 6.0×10¹⁶ y
9. Believed to undergo β⁻β⁻ decay to ⁷⁰Ge with a half-life over 3.8×10¹⁸ y

See also

Daughter products other than zinc

• Isotopes of gallium
• Isotopes of copper
• Isotopes of nickel