Zinc Oxide

Product Overview

Zinc Oxide (CAS No. 1314‑13‑2), commonly known as zinc white or zinc oxide powder, is an inorganic amphoteric metal oxide with stable physicochemical properties. Commercially mainstream products fall into three major categories: indirect‑process zinc oxide, direct‑process zinc oxide, and activated zinc oxide. It appears as uniform fine white powder, odorless, tasteless and grit‑free, with stable chemical properties and resistance to deterioration under normal temperature and pressure. Insoluble in water and ethanol, it dissolves in acids, strong alkalis, ammonia water and ammonium salt solutions. It features outstanding UV‑shielding, thermal‑conducting, antibacterial, sulfur‑absorbing and catalytic performances with comprehensive excellent physicochemical properties.

Zinc oxide powder delivers uniform particle size, good dispersibility and controllable specific surface area. It possesses stable optical, electrical, thermal and biosafety properties, as well as excellent hiding power, tinting strength, weather resistance and anti‑aging capacity. Non‑toxic and highly adaptable with favorable storage stability, it is a highly versatile basic inorganic functional powder material. Boasting complete product categories and clear quality gradients, it represents one of the core metal oxide raw materials with mature applications and huge market volume in the fine‑chemical industry system.

Basic Parameters

Production Processes

Three mainstream industrial mass‑production processes for zinc oxide are the indirect process, direct process and wet‑activation process. All are technically mature with controllable production conditions and clear quality grading, ensuring high batch consistency. Products of varied purity, activity and particle‑size specifications can be manufactured to meet different raw‑material standards.

Indirect Process (High‑end Main‑stream Grade)
High‑purity zinc ingots serve as the core feedstock. After high‑temperature melting and vaporisation, zinc vapour fully reacts with oxygen inside a closed oxidation furnace to form fumes of high‑purity zinc‑oxide powder. Subsequent procedures including settling‑cooling, precision classification, fine screening and dust‑collection yield finished products featuring high purity, ultra‑low impurities, uniform particle size and excellent dispersibility. This is the dominant manufacturing route for high‑end fine‑chemical raw materials.

Direct Process (General‑purpose Industrial Grade)
Using zinc ore, zinc slag and qualified zinc‑containing recycled materials as feedstock, the process comprises raw‑material pretreatment, high‑temperature roasting for impurity removal, reduction‑enrichment purification, high‑temperature oxidative synthesis, dust collection and multi‑stage classification refinement to produce conventional industrial‑grade zinc oxide. Characterised by large production capacity and prominent cost‑performance, it delivers stable quality and serves as a general‑purpose base‑grade raw material.

Wet‑activation Process (Functional Grade)
Prepared via a full set of procedures: liquid‑phase synthesis, precise precipitation‑crystallisation, controlled low‑temperature calcination, ultrafine‑powder grinding and surface‑modification activation. Compared with ordinary zinc oxide, activated zinc oxide has larger specific surface area, higher chemical reactivity, finer particle size and superior dispersibility, with prominent adsorption, catalytic and activation performances. It is a high‑end functional modified‑powder raw material.

The three mass‑production processes form a clear‑graded system. Automated domestic production technologies are well established with controllable working conditions, stably supplying zinc oxide products of diverse purity, activity and particle‑size specifications to satisfy various quality standards.

Quality Standards

Commercial zinc oxide follows standardised national grading specifications. General‑purpose industrial‑grade products strictly comply with GB/T 3185‑2016 Zinc Oxide. Cosmetic‑grade and pharmaceutical‑grade products comply with special pharmacopoeia and fine‑chemical access standards, and align with international general‑testing specifications, satisfying domestic compliant sales and cross‑border export‑inspection requirements.

Core internal‑control indicators for premium‑grade products: pure‑white, fine and evenly‑coloured powder free of discoloration, caking and coarse‑particle impurities. High‑purity indirect‑process products feature main‑component content ≥ 99.7 %, and main‑component content of all grades can be precisely controlled. Strict limits are imposed on moisture, ignition residue, iron, lead, cadmium and other heavy‑metal trace harmful impurities. Finished products exhibit uniform particle‑size distribution without agglomeration, favourable powder flowability and dispersibility, and stable appearance to meet high‑end fine‑chemical raw‑material requirements.

Industrial Advantages of China

China is a global core base for zinc‑oxide production, processing, consumption and export. Benefiting from a complete non‑ferrous‑metal smelting and fine‑chemical deep‑processing industrial cluster, it enjoys sound raw‑material support and mature iterative‑production technologies, ranking first globally in production capacity and holding a major share of the global market. It possesses absolute industrial leadership and core competitiveness within the global zinc‑oxide supply chain.

Globally Leading Large‑scale Production Capacity
China boasts highly‑clustered zinc‑oxide manufacturers covering the full spectrum of indirect‑process, direct‑process and wet‑activation technologies. Large‑scale automated mass‑production facilities are widely deployed. China can stably supply full‑range, all‑grade zinc‑oxide products in large volumes, accepting long‑term bulk‑order contracts at home and abroad, with globally leading supply stability and delivery efficiency.

Complete Raw‑material Cost Advantages
Domestic supplies of zinc ore resources, high‑purity zinc ingots and smelting by‑product feedstocks are sufficient with stable supply chains and controllable price fluctuations. Leveraging the closed‑loop advantages of upstream non‑ferrous‑metal smelting together with large‑scale production effects, comprehensive production costs are greatly reduced, yielding strong global pricing competitiveness.

Mature and Comprehensive Process System
China has widely adopted high‑end indirect‑process purification, wet‑modification, ultrafine‑classification and surface‑activation technologies. Indicators including product purity, particle‑size uniformity, dispersibility and activity fully match top‑tier international standards. Minimal batch‑to‑batch variation ensures high‑quality stability, enabling full substitution for imported equivalents.

Closed‑loop Whole‑industrial‑chain Support
China has realised a full‑value‑chain closed loop covering zinc‑raw‑material smelting, oxidative synthesis, fine classification, modification deep‑processing, quality‑inspection screening, packaging‑warehousing and cross‑border logistics, with 100 % domestic self‑sufficiency. Independent of overseas technologies and raw materials, it caters simultaneously to high‑end domestic fine‑chemical markets and large‑volume global export‑trade demands.

Multi‑dimensional Advantages for Compliant Exports
Chinese zinc‑oxide of various grades is fully qualified with rigorous testing systems. It meets access standards for global industrial, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and new‑material sectors, showing strong adaptability for cross‑border trade and enabling stable supply to worldwide markets.

Upstream and Downstream Industrial Chains

As an inorganic functional‑oxide powder raw material, zinc oxide features clear‑division and closed‑loop industrial chains. The upstream relies on non‑ferrous‑metal zinc feedstocks, fuels and auxiliary consumables; downstream covers end‑use sectors including industrial materials, fine‑chemicals, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics, and new electronic materials.

Upstream Raw Materials: High‑purity zinc ingots, zinc ore, zinc‑containing recycled materials, combustion‑support gases, calcination auxiliaries, purified water, surface‑modification additives.

Downstream Application Sectors: Functional‑powder auxiliaries, fine‑chemical raw materials, base raw materials for new materials, basic raw materials for pharmaceuticals & cosmetics, industrial additives, catalytic materials, electronic‑ceramic powder materials.

Safety, Storage and Transportation

Zinc oxide is a conventional inorganic‑powder chemical raw material. It is non‑flammable, non‑explosive, non‑strongly‑corrosive and non‑highly‑toxic. Civil‑use and industrial‑grade zinc oxide is not classified as hazardous chemical and does not require special hazardous‑chemical control. It has a high safety level and may be stored and transported as ordinary general‑chemical goods. Only powder‑dust exposure shall be properly managed to avoid prolonged heavy‑inhalation.

Storage Requirements: Store in dedicated dry, cool, ventilated and clean warehouses. Keep away from humidity and high temperature to prevent moisture‑induced caking and powder agglomeration‑deterioration. Keep materials hermetically packaged and stored in separate zones. Keep away from acidic, corrosive and oxidising substances. Maintain dry‑and‑clean warehouse conditions and avoid cross‑contamination by mixed storage.

Transportation Requirements: Follow general‑powder‑chemical‑cargo transportation standards. Take full precautions against rain, moisture, package breakage and powder leakage during transit to guarantee intact and sealed packaging. Do not transport together with acidic liquids, corrosive materials or toxic‑hazardous goods to prevent product contamination and physic‑chemical property alteration.

Safety Properties: Physic‑chemically stable under normal temperature and pressure; low‑irritation under regular‑usage conditions with extremely high safety upon standardised application. Suspended powder dust may cause mild respiratory‑tract irritation. Routine dust‑proof personal‑protective equipment is sufficient during production and handling. No safety risks exist under proper storage, handling and usage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are China's major production regions for zinc oxide, and what are their supply advantages? A: China's core zinc oxide production capacity is concentrated in non‑ferrous metal deep‑processing industrial clusters across Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Hunan and other provinces. Leading manufacturers are equipped with fully automated production, classification, modification and precision testing facilities covering the three mainstream production processes. They adopt standardized and refined quality‑control systems, offering a full range of product grades with consistent appearance and stringent impurity control, together with complete export qualifications. Large‑volume and long‑term stable supply makes these regions key global supply bases for zinc oxide.

Q: What are the main components of the comprehensive production cost for zinc oxide? A: Comprehensive production costs fall into four major categories: 1) Core raw‑material costs, mainly high‑purity zinc ingots, zinc ore and zinc‑bearing feedstock; 2) Energy‑consumption costs for processes including high‑temperature vaporization, oxidation synthesis, calcination, classification and sieving; 3) Process consumables and equipment operation‑maintenance costs, covering auxiliary materials for purification, modification, dust removal and classification, as well as production‑line operation and maintenance expenses; 4) Costs for finished‑product testing, clean warehousing and bulk logistics. Supported by China's complete non‑ferrous metal deep‑processing industrial chain, notable overall cost advantages are achieved.

Q: What are the key differences between indirect‑process, direct‑process and activated zinc oxide, and what criteria should be used for product selection? A: The main differences lie in purity, powder particle size, surface activity and product positioning. None of the three is inherently superior; distinctions are based purely on application suitability requirements. Direct‑process zinc oxide is a general‑purpose base‑grade product featuring cost‑effectiveness and moderate purity. Indirect‑process zinc oxide is a high‑end refined grade with high purity, ultra‑low impurities and stable uniform powder. Activated zinc oxide is a functionally modified product characterised by large specific surface area, high chemical reactivity and excellent dispersibility. Buyers shall select products according to requirements such as raw‑material purity, activity indicators, compliance standards and powder performance.