Group 12 element ancient times as well as in alloys such as brass that have been found to be over 2000 years old. Zinc was distinctly recognized as a metal under the designation of "Fasada" in the medical Lexicon ascribed to the Hindu king Madanapala (of Taka dynasty) and written about the year 1374. The metal was also of use to alchemists. The name of the metal was first documented in the 16th century, and is probably derived from the German for the needle-like appearance of metallic crystals. The isolation of metallic zinc in the West may have been achieved independently by several
Ampco Metal into the production of aluminium bronze alloys as sand castings, forgings and centrifugal castings. The company was renamed "AMPCO METAL" in 1930, by which time it had built itself a reputation as a reliable producer of high quality alloys. The Second World War strongly increased the demand for copper-based alloys and industrial bronzes, especially in the field of aeronautics. By 1944, manufacturing operations had grown from 100 to 2,500 employees, and every American airplane carried AMPCO METAL parts somewhere in its structure—in its engines, landing gear, propellers or airframe. In the marine environment, AMPCO METAL propellers were manufactured for landing