TURNING SCIENCE INTO A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Key Takeaway
- Hindustan Zinc is scaling investments in new products, processes, and IP creation to ensure future-readiness.
- Hindustan Zinc 2.0 priorities: Maximise recovery and resource efficiency, waste-to-value conversion to enhance circularity and sustainability, and focus on new applications and value-added products (especially in critical mineral and energy transition).
Innovation at Hindustan Zinc goes well beyond incremental process improvement to unlocking higher value from every tonne mined and every opportunity emerging in the metals landscape. We are building a pipeline of intellectual property (IP) and commercial capabilities across recovery science, waste valorisation, critical minerals, and next-generation products to secure long-term competitiveness and ensure future-readiness.
Recovery Improvement Initiatives
- Lead-silver enhancement: Introduced advanced flotation techniques, including graphite removal at Rampura Agucha Mill and selective silver promoters at Sindesar Khurd Mine to improve lead-silver grade in the lead concentrate for downstream processing.
- New recovery pathways: Developed an alternative process flowsheet for lead-silver recovery and grade enhancement from hydrometallurgical residue (low-grade lead cake), for which a patent has been filed and commercialisation is planned for FY2027.
- Reagent optimisation: Evaluated depressants and collectors for improved concentrate quality, with some recommended reagents under plant trials.
- Operational stability improvement: Developed simulation methodology to reduce process downtime due to slag choking in pyro operations.
Impact
Higher recovery, improved metal yield, and more stable operations.
Waste-to-Wealth Conversion Initiatives
- Jarosite transformation: Developed an innovative process1 to recover valuable metals from Jarosite and transform the residue into pigment-grade hematite.
- High-purity manganese: Established a process to convert manganese-bearing residue from the zinc hydrometallurgical circuit into high-purity manganese tetraoxide (Mn₃O₄).
- Sodium-rich salt: Validated a method to transform sodium-rich solid salt generated in zero liquid discharge plants into pure sodium sulphate crystals for internal reuse.
- Industrial gypsum: Process2 to convert calcium-bearing process residues to economical-grade industrial gypsum with zero waste production.
- Pyrite: Developed a conceptual flowsheet for pyrite concentrate generation from tailings.
Impact
Reduced environmental footprint, improved resource efficiency, and creation of new value streams.
1 Under validation at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research — Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR IMMT), Bhubaneswar.
2 Patent pending.
Innovation in Critical Mineral & Energy Transition Space
- Developed a flowsheet to treat the altered ore zone and generate concentrates suitable for treatment in our in-house smelters
- Conducting feasibility testing to extract additional cadmium from smelter streams
- Mapping opportunities across mines and smelters for minor and critical metals, and rare earth elements, alongside evaluating technology partners
- Developing inhouse capability to extract critical and minor metals like copper, antimony, cobalt, and bismuth from smelter waste and tailings
Impact
Faster technology adoption and access to cutting-edge research capabilities.
Innovation Towards Diversification of Portfolio
- Zinc Batteries: Developed zinc electrolytic manganese dioxide (Zn-EMD) pouch cell of 300 mAh with Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). Demonstration of 1 kWh zinc-air battery as a range extender in vehicles is planned with IIT Madras for early FY2027.
- Zinc Alloys: Conceptualised three different grades of ZAM (Zinc Aluminium Magnesium) and two grades of toning alloys, and commenced production for the customers in steel galvanisation.
Impact
Expanding addressable markets and strengthening value-added product portfolio.
R&D Highlights
11
Patents granted till date
4
Patents filed in FY2026
2
IPs under filing in collaboration with JNCASR & IIT Madras for zinc batteries
₹21.24 Cr
R&D spend in FY2026
R&D Collaborations
Virginia Tech
- For improving silver recovery through advanced techniques
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research — National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR–NML)
- For critical mineral blocks (tungsten, potash, and rare earth elements) with academic and research support for extraction process design
- For silver recovery improvement across our value chain (beneficiation and smelting)
- For alloy testing, improvement, and new product development
- For analysis, mapping, and extraction process design of minor / critical minerals present in the existing value chain