USGS Mineral Resources Program

Zinc—The Key to Preventing Corrosion

As part of a broad mission to 

conduct research and provide 

information on nonfuel mineral 

resources, the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) supports science 

to understand

• How and where zinc 

resources form and 

concentrate in the 

Earth’s crust

• How zinc resources 

interact with the environment 

to affect human and 

ecosystem health

• Trends in the supply of 

and demand for zinc 

in the domestic and 

international markets

• Where future zinc resources 

might be found

Why is this information 

important? Read on to learn 

about zinc and the important 

role it plays in the national 

economy, national security, and 

lives of Americans every day. 

Centuries before it was identified as an element, zinc was used to make brass (an alloy of zinc 

and copper) and for medicinal purposes. Metallic zinc and zinc oxide were produced in India sometime 

between the 11th and 14th centuries and in China in the 17th century, although the discovery of pure 

metallic zinc is credited to the German chemist Andreas Marggraf, who isolated the element in 1746.

Sphalerite (zinc sulfide) is the primary ore mineral from which most of the world’s zinc is 

produced, but a number of other minerals that do not contain sulfide contain zinc as a major component. 

Much of the early zinc production was from nonsulfide deposits; however, as these resources were 

exhausted, production shifted to sulfide deposits. In the past 30 years, advances in extractive metallurgy 

have resulted in renewed interest in nonsulfide zinc deposits.

Refined zinc metal is bluish-white when freshly cast; it is hard and brittle at most temperatures and 

has relatively low melting and boiling points. Zinc alloys readily with other metals and is chemically 

active. On exposure to air, it develops a thin gray oxide film (patina), which inhibits deeper oxidation 

(corrosion) of the metal. The metal’s resistance to corrosion is an important characteristic in its use.

How Do We Use Zinc?

Zinc is currently the fourth most widely consumed 

metal in the world after iron, aluminum, and copper. 

It has strong anticorrosive properties and bonds well 

with other metals. Consequently, about one-half of the 

zinc that is produced is used in zinc galvanizing, which 

is the process of adding thin layers of zinc to iron or 

steel to prevent rusting. The next leading use of zinc 

is as an alloy; the zinc is combined with copper (to 

form brass) and with other metals to form materials 

that are used in automobiles, electrical components, 

and household fixtures. A third significant use of zinc 

is in the production of zinc oxide (the most important 

zinc chemical by production volume), which is used in 

rubber manufacturing and as a protective skin ointment.

Zinc is also important for health. It is a necessary 

element for the proper growth and development of 

humans, animals, and plants. The adult human body contains between 2 and 3 grams of zinc, which is the

amount needed for the body’s enzymes and immune system to function properly. It is also important for taste, 

smell, and to heal wounds. Trace amounts of zinc occur in many foods, such as oysters, beef, and peanuts.

Where Does Zinc Come From?

Research to better understand the geologic processes that form mineral deposits, including those 

of zinc, is an important component of the USGS Mineral Resources Program. Zinc is commonly found 

in mineral deposits along with other base metals, such as copper and lead. Zinc deposits are broadly 

classified on the basis of how they are formed. Zinc is produced mainly from three types of deposits: 

sedimentary exhalative (Sedex), Mississippi Valley type (MVT), and volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS).

Sedex deposits account for more than 50 percent of the world’s zinc resources and are formed 

when metal-rich hydrothermal fluids are released into a water-filled basin (usually an ocean), resulting 

in the precipitation of ore-bearing material within basin-floor sediments. The world’s largest zinc mine, 

the Red Dog mine in Alaska, is developed in a Sedex deposit.

MVT deposits are found throughout the world and get their name from deposits that occur in the 

Mississippi Valley region of the United States. The deposits are characterized by ore mineral replacement of the carbonate host rock; they are often confined to a single stratigraphic layer and extend over 

hundreds of square kilometers. MVT deposits were a major source of zinc in the United States from the 

19th century through the mid-20th century.

In contrast to Sedex and MVT deposits, VMS deposits have a clear association with submarine 

volcanic processes. They also can contain significant amounts of copper, gold, and silver in addition to 

zinc and lead. The “black smoker” sea vents discovered during deep ocean expeditions are examples of 

VMS deposits being formed on the sea floor today.

Zinc oxide can protect against sunburn in the 

summer and windburn in the winter. Zinc is 

also a key ingredient of healing ointments for 

wounds and burns. 

Photograph © 2010 Jeff L. Doebrich.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2011–3016

March 2011
Worldwide Supply of and Demand for Zinc

In 2009, zinc was mined in six different States; however, 

the United States imported 76 percent of the refined zinc used 

domestically, primarily from Canada, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and 

the Republic of Korea, in descending order. Worldwide zinc 

consumption remained steady in 2008, as increased consumption in 

countries with emerging markets (such as China, Brazil, and India) 

offset declining consumption in Europe and the United States, 

according to International Lead and Zinc Study Group statistics.

Although many elements can be used as a substitute for zinc in 

chemical, electronic, and pigment applications, the demand for zinc

galvanized products remains strong, 

especially in regions where significant 

infrastructure projects are being developed. The dramatic increase in the world’s

production (supply) and consumption 

(demand) of zinc in the past 35 years 

reflects demand in the transportation 

and communications sectors for such 

things as automobile bodies, highway 

barriers, and galvanized iron structures.

Sphalerite is the primary ore 

mineral from which most of 

the world’s zinc is produced.

Did you know... Marco Polo documented the use of zinc oxide for medicinal purposes in Persia in the 13th century.

How Do We Ensure Adequate Supplies of Zinc for the Future? 

To help predict where future zinc supplies might be located, USGS scientists 

study how and where identified zinc resources are concentrated in the Earth’s crust 

and use that knowledge to assess the likelihood that undiscovered zinc resources 

exist. Techniques to assess mineral resource potential have been developed and 

refined by the USGS to support the stewardship of Federal lands and to better 

evaluate mineral resource availability in a global context.

In the 1990s, the USGS conducted an assessment of U.S. zinc resources 

and concluded that twice as much zinc remained to be found as had already been 

discovered. Specifically, the USGS found that less than 100 million metric tons of 

zinc had been discovered in the United States and estimated that about 210 million 

metric tons of zinc remained undiscovered.

Mineral resource assessments are dynamic. Because they provide a snapshot 

at a particular time and level of knowledge, the assessments must be updated as 

better data become available and new concepts are developed. For example, during 

reconnaissance geologic investigations in the late 1960s, USGS geologists noted 

the presence of widespread iron-oxide staining in the drainages of the western 

Brooks Range, Alaska. Followup studies led to the discovery of the Red Dog 

lead-zinc deposit. In late 1990, after 10 years of exploration and development 

work, the Red Dog mine in Alaska went into production and has since contributed 

greatly to the global zinc supply. Subsequent investigations of the area have resulted in a better understanding of the complex factors that 

controlled the formation of Red Dog and other deposits and provide the basis for assessment of similar deposits in similar geologic environments elsewhere. Other current research by the USGS involves updating mineral deposit models and mineral environmental models for zinc 

and other important nonfuel commodities and improving the techniques used to assess for concealed mineral resource potential. The results 

of this research will provide new information and decrease the amount of uncertainty in future mineral resource assessments.

Complex factors controlled the formation of one of the 

largest zinc deposits in the world at the Red Dog mine 

in Alaska. The Red Dog deposit has been the subject 

of numerous USGS mineral assessment and mineral 

environmental studies. 

Photograph by Karen D. Kelley, USGS, 1998.

Did you know... Zinc chloride is often added to lumber as a fire retardant and can be used as a wood preservative.

For More Information

• On production and consumption of zinc:

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/zinc/

• On the assessment of undiscovered deposits of gold, silver, 

copper, lead, and zinc in the United States:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-198/

• On Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposit model:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5070/a/

• On sedimentary exhalative zinc-lead-gold deposit model:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1209/

• On volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit model:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1235/

The USGS Mineral Resources Program is the sole Federal provider 

of research and information on zinc and other nonfuel mineral 

resources. For more information, please contact:

Mineral Resources Program Coordinator

U.S. Geological Survey

913 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

Telephone: 703–648–6100

Fax: 703–648–6057

E-mail: minerals@usgs.gov

Home page: http://minerals.usgs.gov

Text prepared by S.J. Kropschot and Jeff L. Doebrich.