Sumitomo Metal Mining to Shift All Recycling Zinc Smelting

Sumitomo Metal Mining shifts to all recycling operation for zinc smelting. The firm uses zinc concentrate as 60% of raw material for zinc smelting but the higher cost squeezes the profitability under tight supply. The firm tries to improve the cost competitiveness by using 100% recycling materials including steel making dust and slag.

The firm makes annual 90,000 tonnes of zinc ingot by Imperial Smelting Process at Harima plant in Hyogo. The operation uses around 40% of recycling material. The firm makes zinc oxide with around 60% of zinc purity from electric furnace steel making dust, which contains 20% zinc. The recycling provides treatment charge from steel makers to Sumitomo Metal Mining.

However, steel makers tend to shift self recycling of the dust to recover steel sources. Sumitomo Metal Mining should secure the stable source of the dust to shift recycling oriented zinc smelting.

The firm also should clear technical challenge. The zinc smelting needs lump materials and now uses concentrate and oxide ore mixed concentrate. However, powder oxide ore should be converted into lump when the firm shifts to all recycling materials.