Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran produced 80,000 tons of zinc ingot last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2017), which is 22.5 percent more compared to the preceding year, Ardeshir Saad Mohammadi, managing director of Iran Zinc Mines Development Holding, said.
The figure is also 3,000 tons more than the planned output for the last fiscal year, Saad Mohammadi said, IRNA news agency reported Apr. 25.
He further said that over 90 percent of Iran’s zinc production is exported to 14 countries.
Iran’s zinc ingot is sold at a price higher than the global average, Saad Mohammadi said, adding that a contract has been already signed for selling 76,000 tons of the last year’s output.
In terms of zinc production, Iran ranks 11th in the world and fourth in Asia, the official said.
He also said that there is no domestic demand for zinc ingot in Iran.
Earlier in March, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said Iran is able to supply 4 percent of the world’s zinc market.
The global production of zinc is 14 million tons per year.
Zinc is most commonly used as an anti-corrosion agent. It is also used in electrical batteries, small non-structural castings, and alloys such as brass. A variety of zinc compounds are commonly used, such as zinc carbonate and zinc gluconate (as dietary supplements), zinc chloride (in deodorants), zinc pyrithione (anti-dandruff shampoos), zinc sulfide (in luminescent paints), and zinc methyl or zinc diethyl in the organic laboratory.