Zinc

Refined zinc is a bluish-white metal primarily used for galvanising steel against corrosion, a process in which a thin zinc coating is applied to steel surfaces to act as a sacrificial anode. It is also a key constituent of brass (copper-zinc alloy) and sees use in die-casting, batteries, and paints. Zinc smelting requires either a pyrometallurgical retort process or an electrowinning process; the latter produces higher-purity zinc but demands significant electrical energy input.