Zinc Sulfate          

  *Short tons per year of zinc sulfate, monohydrate basis (ZnSO₄×H₂O). Three additional companies produce small quantities of specialty grades of zinc sulfate. Their combined capacities are estimated to be less than 3,000 short tons 

In 2002, Big River Minerals expanded production capacity in Sauget, Ill., from 6,000 to 28,000 annual short tons.

In January of 2000, Bioponic International was renamed MR3 Systems Inc.

American MicroTrace, CoZinCo and WyZinCo were acquired by Tetra Technologies in 1999 and are operated under the name of TETRA Micronutrients. In 1998, the WyZinCo site in Cheyenne, WY, was expanded from 12,000 to 24,000 tons. In 1999, the 18,000 ton zinc sulfate plant of CoZinCo in Salida, CO, was closed.

Madison Industries is an operating unit of Old Bridge Chemicals.

Profile last published 7/3/00; this revision 4/14/03.

DEMAND
2001: 80,100 short tons; 2002: 80,400 short tons; 2006: 87,400 short tons, projected. Demand equals production plus imports (2001: 19,800 short tons; 2002: 24,600 short tons) less exports (2001: 7,000 short tons; 2002: 3,500 short tons). All on monohydrate basis.

GROWTH
Historical (1997 - 2002): 3.0 percent per year; future: 2.1 per year through 2006.

PRICE
Historical (1997 - 2002): High, $34 per cwt., 36 percent Zn, gran., monohydrate, industrial grade, bags, c.l., f.o.b. works; low, $32 per cwt., same basis. Current: $34 per cwt., same basis; $520 per ton, agricultural, powder, bulk, f.o.b. works. Substantial discounting from list price exists.

USES
Fertilizer, 76 percent; animal feed, 7 percent; water treatment, 7 percent; miscellaneous, including chemical manufacture, froth flotation and rayon production, 10 percent.

STRENGTH
Zinc sulfate's growth comes chiefly from fertilizer applications and animal feed supplements. It is especially applied on crops such as pecan, deciduous fruits, peanuts, cotton, corn, and citrus, and added to feeds for swine and poultry. Some of the fertilizer segment's gain in recent years came at the expense of zinc oxysulfate, produced from steel furnace flyash. Fear of attendant undesirable heavy metals (e.g. chromium) resulted in some oxysulfate displacement in the fertilizer market. Use in potable water systems as a corrosion inhibitor is increasing years. Recent  industry consolidation and plant rationalization has helped to strengthen the sector.

WEAKNESS
All applications besides fertilizers and animal feed supplements are stagnant and there is nothing new for zinc sulfate on the horizon.

OUTLOOK
Agricultural uses will continue to provide modest growth for zinc sulfate, as zinc is an essential trace element for plant and animal life. Zinc sulfate's high solubility in aqueous systems makes it a favored substance for delivering zinc values in agriculture applications. Other application areas are stagnant and are expected to remain so. Raw material production factors, zinc and sulfuric acid, are plentiful and relatively cheap. Plant capacity is more than adequate for foreseeable future requirements. Pricing should remain steady. Annual growth over the forecast period is forecast at 2.1 percent.

HISTORICAL DATA