Zinc Oxide

World zinc production exceeds one million tonnes per annum. Whereas 40% of ZnO is used in rubber industry, higher purity product is preferred by pharma industries and can easily command premium prices.
On a contained zinc basis the oxide accounts for about 9%of the metallic zinc industry. It is estimated that 60% of zinc oxide uses secondary zinc (primarily top dross from continuous galvanising) as the zinc source. China is by far the dominant supplier and also the largest buyer, followed by the U.S.