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Zinc

Zinc ores are fairly widespread in nature and abundantly distributed throughout the world, but seven countries account for nearly 75% of world production of zinc concentrates.
Zinc ores are commonly associated with copper, lead and gold ores and are often produced as a co or by product. The main ore mineral of zinc is sphalerite (Zn,FeS). Smithsonite (ZnCO3), willemite (Zn2SiO4) and hemimorphite (Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 H2O) may occur in the near-surface weathered or oxidised zone of an orebody.

Sphalerite, called also blende or "black Jack”, with a cubic structure is the most abundant zinc mineral. Together with marmatite (Zn, Fe)S, smithsonite and hemimorphite, blende accounts for practically the hole of world zinc reserves.
Zinc metal is a bluish-white lustrous metallic element that crystallizes in the hexagonal system. It is rather brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable between 100 and 200°C.

Zinc is the third most used non-ferrous metal (after aluminium and copper). It is primarily used for coating iron and steel products in order to protect them against corrosion. This zinc coating is known as galvanising and represents about 40% of the end use for zinc. Zinc is also a major product in brass alloys, die casting alloys, chemicals and rolled zinc products.

The metallurgy of zinc depends upon the ore used. The sulfide ore is roasted to the oxide, then mixed with coal and heated to 1,200°C. The zinc vaporizes and is condensed outside the reaction chamber and cast into blocks called spelter. In another method the ore is processed by flotation, filtering, roasting, and leaching; the resulting solution is filtered and the zinc removed by electrolysis.


Links:
-World Bureau of Metal Statistics - Statistics 2002 - 2003
-IZA-The International Zinc Association,
-ILZSG-International Lead and Zinc Study Group




Zinc Production
Thousand Tonnes

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Europe
Bulgaria
19.675
19.448
23.600
50.834
51.000
51.500
Finland
19.751
17.500
20.131
35.000
39.850
39.034
Greece
18.059
16.835
17.545
18.551
16.200
16.000
Ireland
195.900
263.000
298.100
276.700
280.000
290.000
Italy
9.734
10.000
9.000
8.000
8.500
8.700
Macedonia
8.000
12.200
5.000
2.100
0
0
Poland
177.000
157.000
182.000
170.000
181.000
185.000
Romania
31.020
48.024
58.285
50.000
21.260
16.318
Russia (Europe)
27.757
28.923
29.880
30.720
32.112
32.400
Serbia & Montenegro
0
0
0
6.700
6.800
Spain
155.000
200.200
160.700
64.900
83.300
85.000
Sweden
174.448
176.788
156.334
148.620
189.700
160.600
Turkey
46.300
34.539
30.000
33.100
29.000
28.000
Yugoslavia
3.600
3.300
6.000
6.500
0
0
total
886.244
987.757
996.575
895.025
938.622
919.352
 
Africa
       
Algeria
5.292
5.600
5.700
5.000
2.796
231
Congo, D.R.
1.100
800
700
600
500
Morocco
108.099
100.870
87.416
89.238
90.200
92.000
Namibia
34.639
39.126
31.803
42.685
45.000
46.000
South Africa
69.733
62.990
61.200
64.173
67.000
69.000
Tunisia
52.510
44.250
41.000
37.000
36.000
29.011
total
270.273
253.936
227.919
238.796
241.596
236.742
 
Asia
Armenia
900
950
2.000
3.000
3.641
Chile
15.486
15.073
15.840
17.280
18.100
18.300
China
1.200.000
1.350.000
1.572.100
2.080.000
2.200.000
2.509.600
Korea
45.000
34.000
28.000
28.000
32.000
37.000
India
180.000
175.000
205.000
234.000
294.2000
310.000
Iran
72.875
73.210
75.000
81.000
80.000
80.000
Japan
64.263
63.601
44.519
42.851
42.000
41.500
Kazakhstan
222.460
254.240
228.211
286.283
250.000
286.300
Korea
19.664
11.473
5.129
99
50
14
Laos
600
9.000
370
850
300
Myanmar
430
259
200
190
180
Russia (Asia)
203.553
212.102
219.120
225.280
235.488
270.000
Saudi Arabia
3.047
1.911
1.209
1.000
900
Thailand
24.000
23.900
17.733
30.373
37.100
43.400
Uzbekistan
950
800
0
0
0
total
2.047.301
2.218.526
2.423.572
3.028.945
3.193.978
3.601.135
 
America
Argentinia
34.192
33.761
39.703
36.358
29.839
27.000
Azerbaijan
0
1.500
0
0
0
Bolivia
146.316
149.134
142.000
140.000
144.985
145.906
Brazil
96.500
99.000
111.432
133.322
135.000
158.962
Canada
963.321
935.686
1.010.000
892.000
744.037
735.699
Georgia
880
1.000
1.100
1.000
800
Honduras
35.647
35.000
34.500
34.200
34.000
33.900
Mexico
339.647
358.576
427.273
431.662
412.255
384.338
Peru
899.000
910.303
1.056.000
1.222.000
1.372.790
1.400.000
United States
828.000
799.063
780.000
738.205
739.000
total
2.514.734
3.350.340
3.622.471
3.670.642
3.612.111
3.625.605
           
Oceania
Australia
1.265.000
1.410.000
1.500.000
1.490.000
1.355.000
1.334.000
total
1.265.000
1.410.000
1.500.000
1.490.000
1.355.000
1.334.000
 
WORLD TOTAL
9.498.286
11.570.899
12.393.008
12.994.050
12.953.418
13.342.439


Source: Österreichisches Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (Federal Ministry for Economics and Labour of the Republic of Austria), World Mining Data, April 2006