Metals

Zinc in its metallic form is shiny, bluish gray to white with a slight blue-gray tint.  It is hard and brittle at ordinary temperature.

The production of zinc from ore, previously crushed and concentrated by various processes, is now carried out either by pyrometallurgy or by hydrometallurgy followed by electrolysis.

One of the main applications of zinc is as a deposit on steels to protect them from corrosion: this is galvanizing, the products of which are used in the automotive industry, household appliances and even industrial equipment. Brass is prepared with copper and zinc. The roofs are sometimes covered with zinc.

In the form of ZnO oxides, it is almost insoluble in water and generally comes in the form of a white powder. First, it is a stable pigment in paint. This ZnO pigment is also used in the glass and ceramic industry for the preparation of opaque white glass and enamels. It also enters directly into the composition of ferrites and in the production of various rubbers.

Zinc sulphate is used generically for leather and wood preservation, paper bleaching and zinc plating.

Tin is mainly extracted from a mineral called cassiterite, where it is found in the form of SnO2 oxide, with the appearance of a white crystallised powder. In its metallic form, tin is a silver-grey metal.

The applications of tin are varied. It is one of the components of bronze metallurgy, enters the composition of various alloys and catalysts. Tin is also used in the glass industry, as well as in the manufacture of electronic components. It is also found for soldering in the form of a Lead-Tin alloy and tinning, which consists of covering a metal part with a thin layer of tin.

In its metallic form, lead is malleable and bluish-grey, it whitens slowly on oxidation and is also whitish as a sulphate.

The ore is first “roasted” to oxidize the sulphide and obtain lead oxide. Once refined, the lead is cast and solidified in ingot molds. In some foundries, alongside mining concentrates, raw materials from the breaking of batteries, or by-products from other industrial processes such as lead sulphate, are used. Lead is still widely used today in electrical accumulators for batteries.

A reddish-coloured metal, copper is most often greenish in its oxidised form. It has exceptional thermal and electrical conductivity. Copper is found in many different industries: telecommunications, building, transport, energy and renewable energies.

The most famous alloys are certainly brass (copper-zinc) and bronze (copper-tin) but also cupronickel (copper-nickel). In addition to Zn, Sn and Ni, copper alloys can be based on lead Pb, silver Ag or gold Au, or low in Al or Si.

Recycling is nowadays one of the main sources of copper. Due to its chemical stability, it is infinitely recyclable, without alteration or loss of performance.

Silvery-white in its metallic form, nickel is generally light green as an hydroxide. Thanks to its resistance to oxidation and corrosion, nickel is used in a large number of alloys such as stainless steels, superalloys, and cupronickels (copper-nickel).

It is also widely used for electrolytic nickel plating which consists of the addition of an anti-corrosion coating, obtained by electrolytic plating using water-soluble salts.

Nickel is also used in the composition of different types of batteries such as Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) and of course Lithium ion (Li-ion). Nickel consumption in Li-ion batteries is growing rapidly. The use of nickel in batteries allows greater energy density at lower cost.

Molybdenum is a transition metal. Pure metal is metallic white in appearance and very hard.

Although molybdenum is found in minerals such as wulfenite (PbMoO4) or powellite (CaMoO4), the main commercial source of molybdenum is molybdenite (MoS2). It is also found as a co-product of the copper mining industry.

The most important use of molybdenum is in the manufacture of alloys. The addition of this one makes it possible to harden the steel allowing it to be very resistant and little corroded at high temperature. It is also used in the composition of stainless steel used in the marine environment, for its high resistance to chemical corrosion.

Molybdenum is used as a catalyst, particularly in the petroleum industry, to remove organic sulfur compounds from petroleum.

Associated with silicon, it enters the composition of semiconductors. It is also found in the manufacture of special mirrors and solar cells.

Finally, molybdenum oxides: MoO3, MoO2 and MonO3n-1 and wulfenite are used as pigments in paints, inks, and plastics.

Silvery-white and brittle in appearance, antimony is a shiny semi-metal. It is most often a co-product of the lead, copper and silver mining industry.

Antimony is very often associated with lead, tin, copper or precious metals, allowing them to increase their hardness.

It is mainly found as a compound in lead batteries, various alloys for welding or anti-friction, as well as in the manufacture of semiconductors.

Germanium is a white or silvery metal. It is mainly produced as a co-product of the zinc, copper, and lead mining industry.

The final applications of germanium are multiple. It is used in the form of an alloy for the production of high-performance integrated circuits. It is also used in the glass industry thanks to its infrared transparency. It is also found in certain types of photovoltaic cells, optical fibers, and catalysts.

The most common marketed forms of germanium are Germanium fluoride (GeF2); Germanium dioxide (GeO2); Germanium hydride (Ge2H6); Germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4).

From the famous cobalt blue to mauve and black, cobalt salts can take on different colours, while cobalt metal is silvery-white. It is relatively light and hard.

One of the main applications of cobalt is in the field of alloys and superalloys. Cobalt steels are very strong and resistant to high temperatures. They can also be researched for their magnetic properties.

Cobalt compounds are also used as pigment for glass, ceramics, paints, and inks. Cobalt is also used in the composition of a wide range of catalysts and is an important element for various surface treatment processes.

Like nickel, cobalt is an essential element for the manufacture of rechargeable Li-ion type batteries used in our portable electronic devices as well as electric vehicles (EV’s).