ZINC OXIDE, INDUSTRIAL

Zinc oxide is a fluffy white powder used for a wide range of technical applications such as rubber and ceramics, in foods, paints, and in chemical applications. Current global production is more than 1 million tonnes per year. For more information on the zinc industry, click here 

 

Traditional processes for the production of zinc oxide are the French (“indirect”) and American (“direct”) processes. The French process is based on new ingots or secondary zinc metal, while the American process uses secondary oxidised zinc as raw material.

 

ZincOx utilises a hydrometallurgical process based on zinc carbonate ore. The zinc contained in the feed material is leached in an aqueous ammonia solution. Ammonia is stripped from solution by steam injection and the zinc is precipitates as a basic zinc carbonate which is then transformed into zinc oxide by calcination.

 

The ZincOx process enables the production of a very high performance and specification zinc oxide of exceptional purity. Furthermore, a micro agglomerate product can be obtained, which has improved flowability characteristics and reduced dust levels when compared with standard products.

 

ZincOx has also developed a product especially suited to the needs of the rubber industry. The quality of the product has been demonstrated in collaboration with fully qualified laboratories, and is equivalent to Red Seal grade. Impurity levels, however, are comparable to the higher White Seal grade and the shape of particles is nodular.

 

 Below: Electron Microscopy Images

 

 

 Above: Standard Micro Agglomerate

 

 

 Above: Nodular Shape Rubber Product