In the lab, zinc dust is often used in several ways:

1. Reduction Reactions: Zinc dust can act as a reducing agent in chemical reactions, helping to convert compounds to their reduced forms. It’s commonly used in processes like the reduction of organic compounds and in the synthesis of various chemicals.
2. Organic Synthesis: It’s employed in organic chemistry for the reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols, such as in the Clemmensen reduction.
3. Catalysis: Zinc dust can be used as a catalyst or as part of a catalytic system in various chemical reactions, including those involving the formation of new bonds.
4. Analysis and Testing: It is sometimes used in analytical chemistry to test for the presence of certain substances or to investigate reaction mechanisms.
5. Corrosion Testing: Zinc dust can be used in experiments to study corrosion resistance and the effectiveness of protective coatings.
6. Electroplating: In electroplating processes, zinc dust may be used to prepare solutions or as part of the electroplating bath.