人类使用锌金属至少有2000年的历史。而近年来锌更广泛地使用于工业,它仅次于铁、铝和铜。 1983年世界有50个国家开采锌矿,加拿大是最大的生产国,接着是苏联、澳大利亚、秘鲁和美国,美国国内矿山生产主要在田纳西州、密苏里州和纽约州。1983年有39个国家生产锌金属,苏联、日本、加拿大、德意志联邦共和国和美国是主要的生产国。美国是锌的主要消费国,1983年消耗了世界供应量的六分之一,但同年它的生产仅占世界产量的50％。美国锌的开采和冶炼产量在近廿年中基本上是下降的。在这个时期矿山生产 Human use of zinc metal has a history of at least 2000 years. In recent years, zinc has been used more extensively in industry, after iron, aluminum and copper. In 1983, there were 50 countries in the world mining zinc, Canada was the largest producer, followed by the Soviet Union, Australia, Peru and the United States. The United States mainly produces domestic mines in Tennessee, Missouri and New York. In 1983, 39 countries produced zinc metal. The Soviet Union, Japan, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States were the major producers. The United States, a major consumer of zinc, consumed one-sixth of the world’s supply in 1983, but in the same year its production accounted for only 50% of world production. US zinc mining and smelting output has fallen substantially in nearly two decades. Mine production in this period