42 / 80
THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK
2016
INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.
40
According to USGS, zinc metal is mostly used as a coating to
protect iron and steel from corrosion (galvanized metal), as
alloying metal to make bronze and brass, as zinc-based die
casting alloy, and as rolled zinc. Zinc is also consumed in the
form of zinc compounds by the rubber, chemical, paint, and
agricultural industries, among others. In the United States,
USGS figures show that about 37 percent (or 65,000 metric
tons) of the refined zinc produced in the United States was
recovered from secondary materials.
Zinc scrap can come from a range of sources including old
and new die-cast zinc, new zinc clippings, drosses from
galvanizing, skimmings, and ashes. Steelmaking dusts
and zinc-coated steel scrap also remain rich sources of
recoverable zinc. Prices for scrap zinc, such as galvanizing
drosses, were frequently quoted as a percentage of the LME
price. Other scrap items – such as die cast – are frequently
quoted in cents per pound.
The U.S. Zinc Industry
YEAR
2011
220,000
946,000
86,000
2012
240,000
902,000
90,000
2013
238,000
935,000
88,000
2014
166,000
965,000
71,000
2015
120,000
960,000
55,000
PROCESSED ZINC
SCRAP* (MT)
TOTAL ZINC
USAGE (MT)
*Secondary slab zinc production + zinc scrap exports.
ZINC SCRAP
EXPORTS (MT)