Other valuable by-products include: silver, sulphuric acid, gold and indium.
Nyrstar produces and refines significant quantities of valuable by-products in various forms as part of its zinc and lead refining processes. These include:
Gold
Gold is recovered in the lead refining process as a silver and gold bearing crust. These are further treated in the precious metals refinery to produce a 98% pure gold ore.
Silver
Nyrstar produces silver cast as 99.99% pure silver bullion. Our silver bars and granules are high quality and used primarily in the electronics sector. Our brand (BHAS) is certified and registered with the London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA) and is seen as one of the leading qualities produced in the world.
Copper
Nyrstar’s cathode copper is produced to near LME A-grade quality. In addition, copper contained in the feedstock is partly recovered as copper cement.
Sulphuric Acid
Nyrstar recovers sulphur in concentrates to produce high-purity sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is a base chemical used in the production of, for example, fertilizer and nylon, and as an electrolyte in conventional lead batteries.
Indium
Indium is a rare, soft silvery metallic element, which Nyrstar produces at its newly-commissioned indium recovery plant at Auby, France. Global demand for indium has increased substantially over recent years, driven by its main application as indium tin oxide used in flat panel television and video displays.
Cadmium
Cadmium is a soft bluish-white ductile metallic element which occurs in association with zinc ores. It is used predominantly in the production of nickel cadmium batteries.
