# Zinc: Overview

Why most zinc ends up coating steel

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/overview/

What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.

#### Key uses

| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Galvanising steel (sheet for cars and appliances, structural steel, wire, pipes)** | 60% | about 8.2 million t a yearbasis | A zinc coating protects steel twice over: it seals the surface and, because zinc corrodes first, it keeps protecting steel even where scratched. Hot-dip and continuous galvanising are cheap and can be applied at mill speed, so galvanised sheet dominates car bodies, roofing, solar mounting structures and transmission towers. Hindustan Zinc Integrated Annual Report FY2022-23 (global first-use shares); USGS MCS 2026 substitutes | Paint and polymer coatings Aluminium and aluminium-zinc coatings Stainless steel or aluminium in place of coated steel Plastics (some car panels) |
| **Die-casting alloys (Zamak: locks, taps, car and appliance parts)** | 13% | about 1.8 million t a yearbasis | Zinc alloys melt at low temperature and fill thin, detailed moulds precisely, so dies last long and parts need little machining. They suit high-volume hardware, plumbing fittings and small mechanical parts. Hindustan Zinc IR FY2022-23; USGS MCS 2026 substitutes | Aluminium die-casting alloys Magnesium alloys Engineering plastics |
| **Brass and bronze** | 11% | about 1.5 million t a yearbasis | Adding zinc to copper makes brass, which is stronger, cheaper and easier to machine than pure copper and resists corrosion. It is used for valves, fittings, ammunition casings, keys and musical instruments. Hindustan Zinc IR FY2022-23 | Stainless steel Plastics (plumbing fittings) Aluminium alloys |
| **Zinc oxide and chemicals (tyres, fertiliser, feed, pharmaceuticals)** | 9% | about 1.2 million t a yearbasis | Zinc oxide activates rubber vulcanisation and is essential in tyre making. Zinc sulphate corrects zinc-deficient soils, which are widespread in India, and zinc is an essential trace element in animal feed and human nutrition. Hindustan Zinc IR FY2022-23; USGS MCS 2026 substitutes | Few for tyres and nutrition; other activators and elements in some chemical and pigment uses |
| **Other uses (rolled zinc, batteries, semi-manufactures)** | 7% | about 1.0 million t a yearbasis | Rolled zinc is used for roofing and gutters in Europe; zinc is the anode in alkaline and zinc-air batteries. Hindustan Zinc IR FY2022-23 (remainder) | Copper or steel sheet (roofing) Lithium-ion and other chemistries (batteries) |

 First-use shares of global zinc consumption from Hindustan Zinc's FY2022-23 integrated report; the four named uses sum to 93%. By end market the same report gives construction 50%, transport 21% and infrastructure 16%.

#### From mine to user

1. **Exploration and mine development** World zinc reserves were 240 Mt in 2025 and identified resources about 1.9 billion t (USGS MCS 2026). Zinc usually occurs with lead and silver in sulphide deposits.
2. **Mining** World mine output was about 13 Mt of zinc in 2025, led by China (4.1 Mt), Peru (1.5 Mt) and Australia (1.1 Mt) (USGS). Most mines are underground; Red Dog in Alaska is a large open pit.
3. **Concentration** Ore is ground and floated into separate zinc and lead concentrates. Teck, whose zinc comes mainly from Red Dog in Alaska, produced 565 kt of zinc in concentrate in 2025 (Teck via SMM).
4. **Concentrate trade** China took 36% of world zinc concentrate imports by value in 2024 and South Korea 14% (UN Comtrade). Smelters earn a treatment charge deducted from the metal value.
5. **Smelting and refining** Most refined zinc is made by roasting, leaching and electrowinning. World refined output was forecast at 13.8 Mt in 2025 (ILZSG via USGS).
6. **First use** About 60% goes to galvanising steel, 13% to die-casting alloys and 11% to brass (Hindustan Zinc IR FY2022-23).
7. **End markets** Construction takes about 50%, transport 21% and infrastructure 16% (Hindustan Zinc IR FY2022-23).
8. **Recycling** Zinc is recovered from galvanising residues, brass scrap and electric arc furnace dust (USGS). The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 34% (EU CRM 2023).

#### Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25
 LME zinc cash settlement 3,790 US$/t Close 2026-10-23 · Westmetall (LME data) 1 week **+1.4%** 6 months **+8.8%** World production 12.3 m tonnes, 2024 Largest producer China 32.19% of world Reserve life 18 yrs reserves ÷ 2025 output

#### Three things to know

- World zinc reserves of 240 million tonnes cover only about 18 years of 2025 mine output, but identified resources are about 1.9 billion tonnes (USGS).
- In 1991-92 Marc Rich + Co and two producers held over 90% of LME zinc stocks in an attempted corner (Blas & Farchy).
- Indium output rose 1675% between 1975 and 2012, while zinc, its host, rose 231%, thanks to better recovery from zinc ore (Nassar et al.).

#### Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days

- [India's Hindustan Zinc records two-fold profit jump, cuts annual production cost forecast](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQUTRuSU4xWVBpUEpReEZkcVpuSnd5U0YxVlY5TnN6dTllUmN0R3lKUmg4QTNLaDNENlhqN2NZLXRMd1pwaTM5bXBkWjhYejFtLXBhNkRWakV4WVZLSTM5OEc1elM4bUlHZlEyeVRVbHBQTExfMG9IVUV0dWhxYVhveVZpRUJZSmV1R0tITWJBTl90NTR0RldjdEo1ajhLSzFWTXhhdXBWZzQtQllJRUFiQk5Jb2tNQQ?oc=5)Reuters · 2026-10-19
- [Base metals head to LME Week 2026 with record-low TCs, war-hit supply chains](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQdms4ZHpVSGFORE1Oa2F5V2dvNzlwLTNlM08zN3NVcHVrdUJ2TVFvNXhoQmVrXy1mMzBBdTFVT2Ztb0tzNE8yM1RRQzI0THg4bjhGamxqdnFvTEVNYUNKLTlucUZnYzFDUFd1X0hSTVNaaGJFaWs3UzY4OS1RMS03R1FCWGpPZWU5QXBWeEFjb0ZrVmtpb2VKZlhIX1NnWmgzN1FZWmdTM2ZmRWlOYnRiZWVNRQ?oc=5)Fastmarkets · 2026-10-14
- [Zinc Declines As Global Market Shifts To Modest Surplus On Higher Refined Supply By Kedia Advisory](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0AFBVV95cUxOQW12V0c1clk4NTNSVnYwTnhsN3ppUW1sYlJfZ1ZLYm13b2FyNnBXa2JEZHY1N2o0M3l1M0FpU1JmZE9sdFdtTzJkYUY5ekFLc0VXcEdUajhuU3BQekJSbUlLR0xjRzhqRDVyVWZPY1JXb2pzODBySm1XOTZtMnBPUGcwaktHZzdMYzJlMzUtN0pZZl9iZl81cTMzN2didUVHc0JmOU1Fd3B2RktBSUEtWHo1SjVackVHZWdwdHNWTjFQZGo0YnRLWkpkcVNLZ2Z0?oc=5)Investing.com India · 2026-10-14
- [Why should you buy Vedanta shares despite strong Hindustan Zinc Q2 results 2026? Experts' views, target price](https://news.google.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?oc=5)Livemint · 2026-10-20
- [Hindustan Zinc Q2 net profit doubles to Rs 6,412 crore on higher metal prices, output](https://news.google.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?oc=5)Moneycontrol.com · 2026-10-19

#### Chemicals made from it
[H2SO4 Sulphuric acid](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/)[Lub Lubricant additives](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lubricant_additives/)[Fng Fungicides](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/)

#### Read the tabs
[Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/extraction/)[Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/production/)[Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/stocks/)[Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/cycles/)[Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/trading/)[Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/movement/)[Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/criticality/)[Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/characteristics/)[Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/emissions/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/links/index.md)