Mitsui Mining & Smelting to Expand Zinc Output by 10%

Mitsui Mining & Smelting expands the utilization of zinc recycling materials to increase the zinc ingot output by 10%. The firm doubles the treatment capacity of steel making and melting dust by adding a melting furnace to the subsidiary plant in Fukuoka to recover zinc oxide. The subsidiary recovers the zinc materials with Mitsui’s original furnace. The firm treats annual 120,000 tonnes of dust including 60,000 tonnes of steel making dust and 30,000 tonnes of incinerator dust. The plant recovers 25,000 tonnes of zinc oxide with 60% of zinc purity to feed zinc smelting operations in Yamaguchi and Aomori. Mitsui Mining & Smelting produces annual 225,000 tonnes of zinc ingot in Aomori, Yamaguchi and Gifu. The recycling material rate will increase from current 30% by the dust treatment expansion to increase the zinc output by 10% in Yamaguchi and Gifu with better pretreatment method. The zinc smelting operation in Aomori uses flexible smelting furnace, which can make lead and zinc at the same time and use more recycling materials while the smelting operations in Yamaguchi and Gifu need pretreatment process to use more recycling materials.