More than 11 million tons of zinc are consumed annually worldwide. There are a number of uses for zinc, with zinc metal being the largest and most common. In fact, fifty percent of the annual production, or approximately 5.5 million tons of zinc, is used for galvanizing to protect steel from corrosion. Approximately 4% is consumed in compounds such as zinc oxide and zinc sulfate – which are converted into a broad range of consumer products. The remainder is used in other zinc base alloys (brass) and chemicals.

Here’s a breakdown of the use of zinc annually:

• 50% Galvanizing
• 17% Die-casting
• 17% Brass & Bronze
• 6% Rolled Zinc
• 6% Chemicals
• 4% Miscellaneous