The Future of the Zinc-smelting Industry in Great Britain

Abstract

IN 1913 the world's production of the metal zinc, or, to give it its trade name, spelter, was 985,142 English tons (2240.lb.). Of this Great Britain produced 58,298 tons, i.e. 5–9 per cent. On the authority of Moulden,¹ however, it may be stated that “probably not more than 31,290 tons were ‘primary’ spelter in the sense of being extracted from ores, the balance of 27,008 tons being the result of treatment of by-products, galvanisers' ashes, hard-spelter, etc.” In the same year Great Britain imported 145,004 tons of spelter, which, at the average ruling price, “exship,” represents a total value of 3,291,772l. In other words, this country in the year before the outbreak of war was producing—even including “secondary” metal—only 30.1 per cent, of its spelter requirements. The galvanised iron industry absorbed about 60 per cent, of the above production, the manufacture of brass from 20 to 25 per cent., while the remainder was used for the manufacture of sheets, alloys other than brass, etc.