... lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods (source of Zn nutrient), batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, first aid tapes, ... ones are summarized below. Most applications exploit the reactivity of the oxide as a precursor to other zinc compounds ... difficult to protect because its reactivity with organic coatings leads to brittleness and lack of adhesion. Zinc oxide paints ...