FINANCIAL CHRONICLE - THE SILVER MINING BY SUNIL DUGGAL - CEO, HZL

If we add the amount of solar energy that is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere, land and oceans every year, we end up with approximately 3,850,000 EJ (exajoules or 10^18 joules). To put it in more understandable terms, this amount of energy is equivalent to: 2.7 million earthquakes of the same size as the Tohoku earthquake in Japan (2011); 40,000 times the total energy consumption in the United States; 8,000 times the total consumption in the whole world; 40 per cent of the energy that is required to heat the entire volume of water we have on earth by 1°Celsius. Every square metre of our planet receives around 1,366 watts of direct solar radiation.
In America, one solar panel system is installed every four minutes. NASA is currently working on a solar-powered aircraft.
Globally, California is home to the largest solar power plant in the world, located in the Mojave Desert. It spans 1,000 acres. California also dominates the solar power market, with a market share of 44 per cent in 2015. California, Arizona, and North Carolina are the top three US states for solar power, based on the amount of cumulative solar electric capacity installed. There are now nine states in the US where 100 per cent of new electrical energy comes from solar power. In terms of employment generation, more than 200,000 Americans currently work in the solar power industry. That number is expected to climb to 420,000 by 2020.
India is currently 100 per cent importer of solar parts where Silver is used. The major countries from where it is being imported are China and Japan. Taking forward the vision of our prime minister Narendra Modi to produce 100 GW of solar energy by 2022, and producing solar parts, India's consumption of Silver will be all set to increase by about 4,000 tonnes. It is also true that 40 tonnes of Silver is required to produce panels that would generate 1GW of solar power.
Technically speaking, Silver is a primary ingredient in photovoltaic cells, and 90 per cent of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells use Silver paste. When sunlight hits the silicon cell it generates electrons. The Silver used in the cell works as a conductor to collect these electrons in order to form a useful electric current. The Silver then transports the electricity out of the cell so that it can be used. Further, the conductive nature of Silver enhances the reflection of the sunlight to improve the energy that is collected. Therefore, if it wasn't for Silver, solar wouldn't be as efficient in turning sunlight into energy.

But, where is the Silver in India. Have we explored Silver in India? Silver is giving jitters to the increasing solar demand in India. Silver is found in zinc-lead mines and there has been no new large mine explored in India in over a decade. Exploring a mine takes its own time and developing a mine takes 3-5 years. Either we rely on imports or we develop our own resources is the decision that India needs to take.
India is the largest consumer and importer of Silver in the world, having a share of about 21 per cent of global Silver demand though it produces only 6-8 per cent of its consumption requirement. The current Silver import in India is touching 7,000 tonnes and here in India we produce close to 500 tonnes which maximum can be extended to 1,000 tonnes in coming 3-5 years, with expansion of Hindustan Zinc mines that produces over 95 per cent of India's Silver. Globally, the highest usage of Silver is industrial fabrication (55 per cent), followed by coins and bars (20 per cent) and jewellery (20 per cent) and lastly Silverware (5 per cent). In India, the highest usage of Silver is jewellery (38 per cent), followed by coins and bars (22 per cent) and lastly Silverware (20 per cent) and industrial fabrication (20 per cent), as per World Silver Institute.
As compared to the world, India has been slow towards utilisation of Silver for industrial usage with mere 20 per cent, as compared to global usage. Though we are growing in terms of utilisation of Silver in jewellery and Silverware, the real boost will come with digital India and development of domestic solar energy market where Silver will be used.
Silver's industrial role is much more than that of gold's and it is for this reason that a shortage of Silver will have higher negative implications than there would be if there was a shortage of Gold. 

HINDUSTAN ZINC’S TRANSITION TO A FULLY UNDER-GROUND MINING COMPANY BY FY 2019

India's only and the world's second largest integrated zinc producing company, Hindustan Zinc, is all set to become a fully underground mining company by year 2019.
Rampura Agucha Mine of Hindustan Zinc, the world's second largest zinc producing mine and responsible for 75% of company's total output, is gradually moving from open-cast to underground mine operations. The company is expected to close the open-cast mining operations by 2019 and would operate only under-ground mine. The 955 meters depth shaft sinking work at Rampura Agucha Mine has already been completed and commissioned.
In the year 2016-17, Rampura Agucha mine produced ore both from open-cast and under-ground mine. The contribution of open-cast was 3.3 million tonnes and under-ground as 1.4 million tonnes. Rampura Agucha mine ore production capacity is expected to reach about 4.50 million tonnes by 2019-20. The ore production capacity of Rampura Agucha mine as on 31st March 2017 stands as 6.15 million tonnes.
According to the metals and mining analyst, the grade at Rampura Agucha open cast mine is 13 percent and the under-ground mine would be also similar. Globally the average grade varies between 3-6 percent and that gives a huge advantage to Hindustan Zinc in global market.  Even the cost of production of Hindustan Zinc, which is about $ 800 per tonne, is 30 percent lower than that of the global peers.
Hindustan Zinc is on its way towards transition to a fully underground mining company with next generation of technology. This transition will be completed either by the end of current financial year or maximum by early next year. Certainly the production level at open cast mine are much easier when compared to underground mine and initially we are expecting the production levels to be slightly challenging at Rampura Agucha. But since they are ramping up all the other mines, they are well placed to meet the requirements of their smelters and also the production levels. Gradually, the production level at Rampura Agucha under-ground mine will pick-up and will further support the expansion plans.
This transition is part of series of systematic decision and this is the reason they have already speeded up expansion in our other underground mines to ensure that the overall mine production is not impacted.
By 2019-20, Hindustan Zinc will be expanding its all mines to meet the growing demand. Rajpura Dariba mine is being expanded to 1.5 million tonnes from the current capacity of 0.9 million tonnes. The silver rich Sindesar Khurd mine is being expanded from the current capacity of 4 million tonnes to 6 million tonnes. Zawar mines are all set to reach the capacity of 2.5 million tonnes from 1.8 million tonnes in the current financial year and subsequently to 4.5 million tonnes in next 3 years. The company's Kayad mine in Ajmer has ore production capacity of 1 million tonnes and efforts are being made to expand this mine as well.
The shaft sinking work has been completed at Sindesar Khurd mine which has reached the depth of 1050 meters and a new mill of 1.5 mtpa capacity has already been commissioned last year to support the enhanced ore production at Sindesar Khurd mine. The Company is also setting up Fumer Plant to further improve recovery of metals from the slag.
Though ore production capacity of all the mines put together is 12.20 mtpa, the actual ore production in the year 2016-17 was 11.87 million tonnes. The company is aiming to expand the mine production levels to 13.10 mtpa in the current financial year and reaching to 17.50 mtpa in the next three years, i.e. by FY 2020.
Since disinvested in 2002, Hindustan Zinc has invested over USD 3 Billion towards its 4 phases of expansion programs to reach to metal production capacity of 1 million tonne and within three years the company is expected to expand the capacity of metal production to 1.2 million tonne an eventually to 1.5 million tonnes in the next 5 years.
The global zinc market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.96% during the period 2017-2021. The zinc consumption in India is too increasing every year and eventually the issue of corrosion in the new sectors like automobiles, railways, use of galvanised re-bars in coastal structures, electricity distribution network will also drive zinc consumption in India.
Agriculture is another area where zinc can improve the yield of crops since a large agriculture land in India is suffering from zinc deficiency which is not only impacting the mineral value in crops but also affected the overall production.
Hindustan Zinc is counted amongst the top 50 companies in all sectors in India. The company has high quality of grades of ore but also keeps tight control on the costs, best in class technology and substantial cash accruals to meet expansion plans.

HINDU BUSINESS LINE - WE NEED TO ‘GALVANISE’ THE ECONOMY

9^th August 2017 – Opinion Page

Galvanised steel will bolster rail safety. Cars and infra projects will suffer fewer corrosion and maintenance issues.

SUNIL DUGGAL  

Consumption of zinc has grown in India over time, helping sectors such as infrastructure, cosmetics, medicines, paints, rubber, surgical tools, plastics, textiles, soaps and batteries expand and grow. But corrosion losses impact India’s GDP considerably every year.

This can be checked if we promote galvanisation (cover metals with zinc) in construction. Western countries mandate the use of galvanising for steel structures used in building bridges, highways, airports, metro stations, railway stations, etc.

Zinc is the fourth most widely consumed metal in the world — after iron, aluminium and copper. Almost 50 per cent of the zinc mined across the world is used for galvanising, 17 per cent for zinc alloying, 17 per cent for brass and bronze making, 6 per cent in zinc semi-manufactures, 6 per cent in chemicals, and 4 per cent for other miscellaneous purposes.

India’s consumption of zinc is rising day by day as new sectors are being explored to take advantage of zinc. But its potential remains unrealised..

Coastal infrastructure

Use of Galvanised rebars in construction near coastal areas: Corrosion is one of the major reasons for deterioration of concrete structures built near coastal areas. Coastal salts coupled with humidity can corrode exposed metal surfaces and penetrate any opening in the building.

Coastal infrastructure within a range of 5 km is more prone to corrosions and becomes progressively worse closer to the marine source.

According to a study by the American Institute of Architects, it is essential to use hot dip galvanised steel to make such coastal infrastructure-decay resistant. Galvanised steel provides the much needed strength to rebars.

Auto sector

Use of galvanised car bodies: Globally there has been a discrepancy in using galvanised car bodies. Indian car manufacturers use about 3 per cent galvanised steel for cars manufactured and sold in the domestic market. However, they over 70 per cent galvanised steel in exports to markets in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Indian consumers don’t demand galvanised steel due to lack of awareness on the long term benefits of galvanised vehicles. 

Car makers in Europe, North America, Korea and Japan have been using galvanised steel for car body panels for decades and provide anti-corrosion and perforation warranties for a minimum of 10 years.

In India, the customers are advised to pay for extra coatings to protect the body of the car after purchase. More than 60 per cent of the cars in India have surface rust which reduces steel strength and the life of the car, leading to safety hazard.

Steel has been used to make automobiles since the early 1900s but corrosion resistance features became standard in vehicles beginning in the early 1980s when Japanese cars gained entrance to the US market.

Globally, the annual consumption of zinc for auto-bodies today is roughly 120,000 tonnes. There is almost no galvanised steel on Chinese-made vehicles except for exports from China by Volkswagen, General Motors and others which also means that 20 million cars in China are not using galvanised steel.

Globally, galvanised steel car bodies have been shown to experience minimal corrosion attack which protects the structural integrity and safety of the vehicle, improves the resale value, provides consumer protection due to anticipated warranty improvements by the car companies, lowers maintenance costs of under-body and structural components due to the use of zinc coated steel, and saves consumers the costs of after-market anti-corrosion treatments and annual inspections.

The railways

Corrosion of rails and fish plates: Galvanising of railway tracks would not only be a significant initiative towards safety of trains but would also give more life to the railway tracks. India’s rail tracks, spanning over 125,000 km, happen to be the world’s third largest. The annual loss due to pre-replacement of corroded rails is about Rs 440 crore. Many accidents have been attributed to fishplates. Not just the fish-plates, even the bolts need protection, protection from corrosion.

Experts have estimated losses of almost 4 per cent of GDP per year on account of corrosion which may be avoided if the railway tracks are galvanised. One of the significant aspects of railway track maintenance is the detection of corrosion and the replacement of corroded rails.

Corrosion reduces the life of rails to nearly half its expected life. The rails have a life of 800 gross million tonnes which works to approximately 12-13 years under normal traffic conditions in India. The shorter life of rails resulting from absence of galvanising increases track maintenance workload. Corrosion increases the pace of rails replacement and interferes with normal railway movement causing inconvenience to passengers and freight movers and revenue losses to the Railways. 

According to a site inspection carried out by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (eastern circle) PK Acharya, rusted rails could have caused derailment near Kanpur that left 146 people dead and over 200 injured. The International Zinc Association advocates that Indian Railways require corrosion- free tracks in case India is considering Bullet Trains.

Energy sector

Zinc powers the electricity distribution network: Since the advent of high voltage lines, hot-dip galvanised steel has been used in the electric utility market. Whether in a generation facility, substation, lattice tower, or renewable energy components, galvanised steel has been a backbone of any global economy.

According to a study by the American Iron and Steel Institute, close to 1 million steel distribution poles have been installed in the United States since 1998 and are being used by more than 600 US electric utilities. India might be having more poles but how many are galvanised is still to be assessed.

When India is looking ahead providing electricity in every village and progressively moving towards Smart Cities project, Digital India and Make in India, the very basis of infrastructure, the power transmission, needs to be protected for many years.

If these four sectors mandate to address the issue of corrosion and related safety, it would lead to not just efficiency and savings worth millions of dollars for the Indian economy, but also build long-lasting infrastructure. 

The writer is CEO of Hindustan Zinc.

ASK FOR ZINC - SEA VIEW V/S SEE VIEW

Who does not want to have a bungalow or flat facing sea.  Globally, everyone wants to stay in room in a hotel that is facing sea-view. The mesmerising nature has its own depth like ocean which cannot be measured. But not many know that the coastal environment causes severe damage to the building structure and envelope (i.e., exterior doors, windows, skylights, exterior wall coverings, soffits, roof systems, and attic vents). When steel reinforcement corrodes, the corrosion product occupies more than three times the volume of the original steel, exerting great disruptive tensile stress on the surrounding concrete, leading to further cracking, more weather access and further corrosion. In mild cases, rust staining occurs whereas in more serious cases severe spalling of concrete may occur and ultimately the concrete members may fail completely.

The corrosive effect of salt-laden, wind-driven moisture in coastal areas cannot be overstated. Salt-laden, moist air can corrode exposed metal surfaces and penetrate any opening in the building. Corrosion is most likely to attack metal connectors that are used to attach the parts of the structure to one another, such as floor joists to beams and connectors used in cross-bracing below the finished lowest floor. Galvanized connectors coated with Zinc at the rate of 0.9 ounce per square foot of surface area (designated G-90) can corrode in coastal environments at a rate of 0.1 to 0.3 millimetre/year. At this rate, the Zinc protection will be gone in 7 years. Alternatively, a G-185 coated connector, which provides twice as much protection as G-90, can corrode in less than 20 years.

More galvanized protection (more ounces of Zinc per square foot of surface area to be protected) increases service life. Corrosion can also affect fasteners for siding and connectors for attaching exterior-mounted heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning units, electrical boxes, lighting fixtures, and any other item mounted on the exterior of the building.

Corrosion of reinforcing steel is one of the most important causes of deterioration of concrete structures in coastal environment. High permeability concrete, poor design detailing and construction defects such as inadequate depth of cover allow the ingress of salt and moisture into the concrete. High concentration of salt and moisture result in accelerated corrosion of reinforcing steel thereby significantly deteriorating the concrete structure.

Corrosion is commonly associated with deposition of sea salt in presence of moisture on steel and light metals. Chloride is the most significant corrosive species in the salt particles. Corrosion is influenced by the amount of salt on the metal surface and related to speed and direction of wind, distance of structure from the shore, elevation of the structures, degree of sheltering and frequency and amount of rain washing. Other factors that influence corrosion include time of wetness, relative humidity, metal surface temperature etc. Normal steel has poor resistance in coastal atmosphere and hence requires protection for durability.

So, moral of the story is… Do have a SEA facing bungalow or flat, SEE that the steel used is Galvanised…

HINDUSTAN ZINC TO INVEST RS. 570 CRORE ON 'ZINC FUMER PLANT' TO BOOST VOLUMES

Hindustan Zinc, India's only and the world's leading zinc-lead-silver producer is all set to commission its first Zinc Fumer Plant to extract metals from the waste.

The most advanced global zinc production technology, hydro-metallurgical, generates Jarosite as part of the metallurgical process to produce zinc. Due to generation of Jarosite waste as part of the process, there has been a significant loss of metals like zinc, lead, copper, silver and other minor metals in the waste. Globally, the zinc-lead mining industries have been facing challenge towards recovery of metals from waste.

Industry sources estimate that Hindustan Zinc loses about 27,000 MT of metal per annum in this waste.

The most successful process for recovery of metals, without the formation of Jarosite, is Zinc Fumer Plant.  Currently Zinc Fumer Plants are installed in few Chinese and Korean Zinc plants and are quite successful. Zinc Fumer Plant not only deviates from the process of formation of Jarosite, instead, recovers the metals from the waste.

CEO of Hindustan Zinc, Mr. Sunil Duggal informed  that “Hindustan Zinc has placed formal order to China Non Ferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering & Construction Co Ltd (NFC) and we are expecting to commission the first Zinc Fumer Plant by Middle of 2018.  The first Zinc Fumer Plant is being commissioned by Hindustan Zinc at Chanderiya with a cost of Rs. 570 crore will improve recovery of Zinc from 96.8 % to 97.5% (from MIC) that would add about 3000 tonnes of Zinc from just one smelter per annum.” While treating waste, the Zinc Fuming Plant will also produce a large quantity of slag that would be fully utilized by the cement industry.”

The major recovery from Zinc Fumer Plant would be in Lead and Silver, an increase of Lead production by about 4700 tonnes and Silver by 33 tonnes per annum. The Chanderiya Hydro-II Smelter of Hindustan Zinc has a capacity to produce 210,000 tonnes of Zinc.

Hindustan Zinc has an overall current capacity to produce about 825,000 tonnes of Zinc, 180,000 tonnes of Lead and about 500 tonnes of Silver.

The Company has plans to put-up Zinc Fumer Plant at its other Smelting Complexes - at Hydro-I in Chanderiya and in Rajsamand at Dariba Smelting Complex. Once the commissioning is completed at all the three locations, the capacity of Zinc, Lead and Silver is likely to increase significantly, which would ultimately add to the overall volumes, revenue and profits of the Company.

MY SILVER GLITTERS MORE THAN A GOLD - ASK FOR ZINC

While travelling from “Ask for Zinc - A to Zinc in our Lives”, there also falls one letter 'S', denoting Silver. A market that is dominated majorly by imports in India with Hindustan Zinc as the only primary Silver producer in India with over 95% market share in production.
Who knew, the lines that we see on the rear windscreen of cars, which are used for defrosting and defogging, are made from Silver. Surprisingly, in the United States, an alloy can only be called Silver if it has at least 90% Pure Silver.  Who knew that Silver has its origin from a Sanskrit word, later derived from Latin  ARGUNAS, meaning Shining.
Globally, the highest usage of Silver is Industrial Fabrication (51%), followed by Coins and Bars (25%), Jewellery (19%) and Silverware (5%). In India, the highest usage of Silver is Coins and Bars (37%), followed by Jewellery (30%), Silverware (17%) and Industrial Fabrication (16%).
Used in conjunction with almost every common industry, Silver makes itself practically indispensable.
Hindustan Zinc is aiming to produce 1000 tonnes of Silver from current level of about 500 tonnes annually. The company proposes to capture 10% of the Silver consumption market in India from the current level of just about 5%.

HISTORY SAYS IT ALL…
Silver is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for Silver, 'Siolfor,' which itself comes from ancient Germanic 'Silabar'. Silver's chemical symbol (Ag) is an abbreviation of the Latin word for Silver, 'Argentum'. The Latin word originates from Argunas, a Sanskrit word meaning shining.
One of the most precious ancient metals to have roots in Zinc, Silver is believed to be discovered around 5000 BC. While Silver objects have been found dating back before 4000 BC, mankind learned to separate Silver from Lead in 3000 BC. Around 700 B.C. early Mediterranean civilizations were using the brilliant white metal as currency.
Gold was considered to be the skin of the ancient Egyptian gods, but their bones were thought to be of Silver. In ancient Egypt, Silver was considered much more valuable than Gold. It was rare in existence and on the list of valuables. Items of Silver were listed above those of Gold during the Old Kingdom.
The mining of Silver began between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago in Anatolia, or what is now Turkey. One of the first five metals to be discovered by the mankind. Over the next several centuries, the epicentre of Silver mining shifted from Greece to Spain to Germany to Eastern Europe.

PARKES PROCESS - EXTRACTION OF SILVER FROM ZINC
There have been many ways of extraction of Silver through smelting process.  One of them has been the Parkes Process, a pyro metallurgical industrial process for removing Silver from Lead during the production of bullion. It is an example of liquid-liquid extraction.
Parkes process (patented in 1850), involves adding Zinc to Lead and melting the two together. When stirred, the molten Zinc reacts and forms compounds with any Silver and Gold present in the Lead. These Zinc compounds are lighter than the Lead and, on cooling, form a crust that can be readily removed.
The process takes advantage of two liquid-state properties of Zinc - the First is that Zinc is immiscible with Lead and the Second that Silver is 3000 times more soluble in Zinc than it is in Lead.
When Zinc is added to liquid Lead that contains Silver as a contaminant, the Silver preferentially migrates into the Zinc. Since Zinc is immiscible in Lead, it remains in a separate layer and is easily removed. The Zinc-Silver solution is then heated until the Zinc vaporizes, leaving nearly pure Silver. If Gold is present in the liquid Lead, it can also be removed and isolated by the same process.

SILVER ELECTROPLATING -
A CHANGE IN ERA
Silver's industrial role is much more than that of Gold and it is for this reason that a shortage of Silver has always had higher negative implications than there would be if there was a shortage of Gold.
Silver has the highest electrical conductivity amongst all the metals, which is why it is used as an alloyed form for electrical contacts. Satellites, lasers, high-tech weaponry, robotics, telecommunications, all need Silver. Conductors, contracts, switches and fuses need Silver too because of its non-corroding or non-overheating properties.
Engine bearings rely on Silver. The strongest bearing is made from steel and is electroplated with Silver. Silver's high melting point allows it to withstand the high temperature of engines and Silver's lubricant-like features help reduce friction between a ball bearing and its housing. Due to Silver's ability to absorb oxygen, it is being researched as a possible substitute for platinum to catalyse oxidation of matter collected in diesel engine filters. The other industrial applications of Silver electroplating include use in electrical parts and components like Copper connectors and Brass connectors.

SOLAR PANELS - THE POWER OF SUN, BROUGHT TO YOU BY SILVER
If we add the amount of Solar Energy that is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, land and oceans every year, we end up with approximately 3,850,000 EJ (exajoules or 10^18 joules). To put it in more understandable terms, this amount of energy is equivalent to  :  2.7 million earthquakes of the same size as the Tohoku earthquake in Japan (2011) - 40,000 times the total energy consumption in the United States - 8,000 times the total consumption in the whole world -  40% of the energy that is required to heat the entire volume of water we have on Earth by 1°Celsius. Every square meter of our planet receives around 1,366 watts of direct Solar radiation.
In America, one solar panel system is installed every four minutes. NASA is currently working on a Solar-powered aircraft.
Silver is a unique metal. It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals, and it's the most reflective. These physical properties make Silver a highly valued industrial metal, especially when used in Solar cells.
Industry estimates that 40 tonnes of Silver is required to produce panels that would generate 1 GW of Solar Power. With this industry (solar) virtually non-existent 10 years ago, Silver demand in the Solar industry is growing at a fast clip as an alternate form of Energy source in India.
Silver is a primary ingredient in photovoltaic cells, and 90% of crystalline Silicon photovoltaic cells use Silver paste. When sunlight hits the silicon cell it generates electrons. The Silver used in the cell works as a conductor to collect these electrons in order to form a useful electric current. The Silver then transports the electricity out of the cell so it can be used. Further, the conductive nature of Silver enhances the reflection of the sunlight to improve the Energy that is collected. Therefore, if it wasn't for Silver, Solar wouldn't be as efficient in turning sunlight into Energy.
India is currently 100% importer of Solar parts where Silver is used, the major countries from where it is being imported are China and Japan. Taking forward the vision of our Prime Minister to produce 50 GW of Solar Energy, and producing Solar parts, Indian consumption of Silver will be all set to increase by about 2000 tonnes. This would also create large ancillary industries and ample employment opportunities.
California is home to the largest Solar Power Plant in the world, located in the Mojave Desert. It spans 1,000 acres. California also dominates the Solar Power market, with a market share of 44% in 2015. California, Arizona, and North Carolina are the top three US states for Solar power, based on the amount of cumulative Solar electric capacity installed. There are now nine states in the U.S. where 100% of new electrical energy comes from Solar Power.
As it turns out, Solar Energy wouldn't work the same way if it wasn't for Silver.

HEALTH - SILVER GLITTERS IN MY MEDICINE
Hippocrates, "The Father of Medicine", knew of Silver's healing and anti-disease properties. In World War I, before the widespread use of antibiotics, it was imperative on the battlefield. Silver foil was wrapped around wounds to help them heal.
Silver, a germicidal, kills bacteria and other lower organisms. Silver ions act as a catalyst by absorbing oxygen, which kills bacteria by interfering with their respiration. This antibiotic property, along with its non-toxicity, has given Silver an essential role in medicine for thousands of years.
In medicine, Silver is incorporated into wound dressings to treat external infections and also used as an antibiotic coating in medical devices. It is also used in some medical applications, such as urinary catheters (where tentative evidence indicates it reduces catheter-related urinary tract infections) and in endotracheal breathing tubes (where evidence suggests it reduces ventilator-associated pneumonia). The Silver ion (Ag+) is bio-active and in sufficient concentration readily kills bacteria in vitro. Silver is also used in other medical instruments and is a key part of the technology behind X-rays. It has also been used in eye drops and in dental hygiene to cure and prevent infection. Silver Sulfadiazine is especially useful for burn victims because it kills bacteria while also allowing the skin to regrow. Silver ion treatments can heal bone infections and allow regeneration of damaged tissue.
Today, the presence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs increases the demand for Silver in hospitals. Small amounts of Silver can coat hospital surfaces and medical equipment to prevent the spread of pathogens.
Silver and Silver nanoparticles are also used as an antimicrobial in a variety of industrial, healthcare, and domestic applications.

FORECAST - THE SILVER INSTITUTE
As per Indian Minerals Yearbook, published by Indian Bureau of Mines, India is the biggest importer and largest consumer of Silver in the world. Considering the current pattern of utilisation of Silver in the country and the anticipated increase in the GDP, the future demand for Silver is likely to exceed 6,000 tonnes per annum by 2017 as per the report of the Working Group on Mineral Exploration and Development (Other than Coal & Lignite) for the XII Five Year Plan (2012-2017). There is a need for intensifying the exploration for identification of more Silver bearing resources from which Silver is recovered as a by-product.
Silver growth is only likely to increase in India in the coming years since India is growing very aggressively in the areas of Make in India, Digital India and Solar Energy. As compared to the world, India has been slow towards utilization of silver for industrial usage with mere 16%, as compared to global usage of 51%. Though we are growing in terms of utilization of Silver in jewelry and Silver-ware, the real boost will come with Digital India and development of domestic solar energy market where Silver will be used.

INTERNATIONAL GALVANIZING CONFERENCE 2016 FOCUS ON NEW MARKET DEVELOPMENT

International Galvanizing Conference on 20th – 21st October 2016 in Delhi

The 2nd International Galvanizing Conference was inaugurated by Hon'ble Union Minister of Steel – Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh in Delhi on 20th October, 2016. The conference saw global participation from Zinc and Alloy Industries.
Speaking on the occasion, the CEO of Hindustan Zinc – Mr. Sunil Duggal spoke about expanding Zinc market in India and the scope of Zinc in automobile industries, fertilizers, rebars, as a nutrient and towards galvanizing the rail tracks. He spoke about the ancient history of Zinc and India being pioneering country giving Zinc to the world.
Mr. Sunil Duggal said “Hindustan Zinc is ready to meet 100% die-casting requirement in India. For meeting 1% of GDP through mining, Indian mining industry needs to grow 27% and Hindustan Zinc at-least 50%. Delhi's Lotus Temple structure built lasts for 1000 years. HZL has been approached to provide Zinc for Krishna's temple in Vrindawan, since the focus is on building corrosion free structure.”
The Chief Guest of the Conference, Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh – Hon'ble Union Minister of Steel ensured industries of full support from the government and also how Zinc will play an important role towards building infrastructure for the nation.
He said “Like an ant can kill an elephant, you need Zinc coating to make Steel corrosion free. To achieve long life in bridges, India needs galvanized steel structures. Consumption of Zinc is directly related to Steel market. India needs to grow on the basis of USA's metal industry. Whatever produced, needs to be consumed. Coastal area structures are prone to corrosion incurring loss of over 1000 crores every year. The structures built on 8000 Km coastal line of India needs to be protected by choosing galvanized bar. Prime Minister - Narendra Modi's Smart City project will be built on reformed structures that will promote usage of Steel and Zinc. We need to focus on Research & Development and Exploration.”
Mr. Stephen Wilkinson - Executive Director of International Zinc Association said, “Car makers in Europe, North America, Korea and Japan have been using galvanised steel for body panels for decades. These car companies provide anti-corrosion and perforation warranties for a minimum of 10 years. But there is no such protection for most cars made for the Indian consumers. Here, the customers are advised to pay for extra coatings to protect the body of the car after purchase. More than 60% of the cars in India have surface rust which reduces steel strength and the life of the car.”
Mr. Duggal said, “India loses around 4-5% of GDP annually on account of corrosion losses. Western countries, which are far ahead of us in terms of Infrastructure, mandate the use of Galvanizing for the Steel Structures used for bridges, highways, public utility, Airports, Metro Stations, Railways stations, etc. and that is how they are able to preserve long-lasting and robust structures. For instance, Athens Bridge Pennsylvania & Curtis Road Bridge Michigan are structures that utilize Galvanized Steel rebars and have much longer life-span than the conventional bridges built with normal black steel rebar, as galvanized rebar can withstand chloride concentration at least four to five times higher than the black steel rebar and remains passivated at lower pH levels, substantially slowing the rate of corrosion. The country is going through the phase of urbanization and in the upcoming Infrastructure boom, Galvanizing, indeed plays a very important and irreplaceable role.”
The Steel Minister also launched the new product of Hindustan Zinc - 'HZDA' (Hindustan Zinc Die-Casting Alloy). The new product was launched as part of inauguration ceremony. The unique product is produced using Primary Zinc and pure aluminium. 'HZDA' will cater to the need of the die-casting sector for applications in automobile components, house hold appliances, sanitary-ware and defence. Company will also start production of the Toning Alloy series for consumption in steel galvanizing sector for precise control of aluminium in galvanizing bath.
On the occasion, CEO, HZL also said "The launch of 'HZDA' is in line with the support of Prime Minister's flag-ship program 'Make in India' and is expected to replace the imported zinc alloys and to cater to the need of Auto and Steel Industry. Hindustan Zinc is ready to meet 100% die-casting requirement in India.”
The conference deliberated on various applications of Zinc in the global economy and how Zinc is to play significant role towards improving Global Infrastructure.

ASK FOR ZINC - A TO ZINC IN OUR LIVES..."Fish-plate, Not Being Fishy !!"

Many of us would not know about “Fish-plate” in Railways. .. a little definition how this word has been derived… 

A fish-plate is a metal or wooden plate that is bolted to the sides at the ends of two rails. Derived from the French word 'Fiche' - which means a Peg, or 'Fichier - which means to fasten, thus a fish-plate means a plate that fastens. In railway terminology, a fish-plate is a metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track. It is true, in railways,  if the quality of the fish-plate is poor, the caused consequences would be unimaginable. Many accidents have been attributed to “Fish-plates”. A story in leading national daily while reporting on recent rail accident of Indore-Patna Express, also attributed one of the causes of accident as corrosion of “Fish-plates”. 

Not just the Fish-plates, even the bolts need protection, protection from corrosion. 

Experts have estimated losses of almost 4 per cent of GDP per year on account of corrosion which may be avoided if the railway tracks are galvanized. 

International Zinc Association advocates, "Indian Railways requires corrosion-free tracks in case India is considering Bullet Trains. The entire change would not only be cost effective but India would also be the first country to initiate such step towards passengers safety. One of the significant aspects of railway track maintenance is the detection of corrosion and the replacement of corroded rails. The rails have a life of 800 gross million tons, which works to approximately 12-13 years under normal traffic conditions in India. Corrosion reduces the life of rail to nearly half its expected life.”

India's rail tracks, spanning 115,000 km, happen to be the world's third largest. The annual loss due to pre-replacement of corroded rails is huge about Rs 440 crore. 

Needless to mention the role of Zinc, to make the rails and fish-plates last longer… Zinc coating is the key… 

Let no one say… “Fish-plates are indeed Fishy !!!”