Faiza Tehseen

Vast deposits of zinc – a silvery white mineral – lie untapped in Pakistan awaiting exploration. Talking to WealthPK, Muhammad Yaqub Shah, acting member of the Sectoral Council for marble, granite, and minerals, Ministry of Finance, said sphalerite is the principal mineral source for extraction of zinc.

This mineral is abundantly found in various regions of Pakistan, such as Lasbella, Khuzdar, and Duddar areas of Balochistan; Bisham area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and at some place in Gilgit-Baltistan. “Approximately, 23 million tons of known reserves are found out of which 1.5 million tons are reported from Bisham. Complete exploration of zinc is never performed, which is the dire need of the hour,” he said.

Zinc is an important base metal that is processed for preparation of powder and ingots or sheets for industrial use. As a galvanizing agent, it is widely used to manufacture automobiles, street lamp posts, and safe batteries. Industrially, it is used for production of paints, rubber, cosmetics, plastics, inks, pharmaceutical products, zinc oxide, and other household fixtures, etc.

On the other hand, X-rays, fluorescent lights, TV screens, luminous lights, etc are manufactured by using zinc sulfide. It is used in alloys, e.g., bronze, aluminum solder, brass, nickel silver, zinc-based die-casting alloy, and rolled zinc. Zinc is used in small disposable zinc-air batteries, rechargeable non-flow-zinc-bromide batteries, or rechargeable flow batteries. Zinc batteries are cheaper and have a lower fire risk.

Zinc protects iron and steel from the soil, water, and atmospheric corrosion and is widely used in steel structures of buildings, ships, and automobiles. In the construction sector, this important mineral of industrial value is used for roofing, cladding, and rainwater systems. In the agricultural sector, it is used as a plant nutrient for better yield.

In the international market, the price of zinc is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.7% by the year 2023 from US$5,222.8 million in 2022. The global zinc-ion battery (market size) is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% by 2030 from US$ 9.13 billion in 2021. Indigenous processing of zinc and all other industrial minerals can not only help Pakistan generate hefty revenue and foreign exchange earnings but also open up a plethora of job opportunities.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk