Certain commodities tend to fly under the radar for periods of time. For example, it was only in the last couple of years that markets have been able to digest the potential impact of the electric vehicle boom, and what it may mean for raw materials, including copper alloy. The  essential ingredients for lithium-ion batteries, like lithium, graphite and cobalt became hot commodities.

Another one of those metals that comes and goes is zinc. It definitely has the attention of many investors and speculators again after the price shooting up. Company focusing on zinc highlights 7 things that investors need to know about a metal that is gaining substantial momentum.

Here’s why the metal is back in fashion:

1. Zinc smelting and production technology came way later than it did for other metals. Even despite this, it was a crucial metal for ancient peoples.

They would smelt zinc-rich copper ores to make brass, which was used for many different purposes including weaponry, ornaments, coins, and armor.

2. Zinc is also crucial to produce many alloys today.

For example, brass is used for musical instruments and hardware applications that must resist corrosion. Solder and nickel-silver are other important alloys.

3. Galvanizing is still the most important use.

About 50% of the metal is used in galvanizing, which is essentially a way to coat steel or iron so that it doesn’t rust.

4. The world’s first-ever battery used zinc as an anode.

The voltaic pile, made in 1799 by Alessandro Volta, used zinc and copper for electrodes with brine-soaked paper as an electrolyte.

5. The metal remains crucial for batteries today.

Zinc-air, silver-zinc, zinc-bromine, and alkaline batteries all use zinc, and they enable everything from hearing aids to military applications to be possible.

6. Major mines shutting down for ecomonical reasons or rescource drained result in stockpiles dwindling.

7. Zinc is a $34 billion per year market.

It’s bigger than the silver ($18 billion), platinum ($8 billion), and molybdenum ($5 billion) markets combined. In fact, it is the fourth-most used metal worldwide.

As an alloy and metal focused manufacture, Nexteck Technology Limited provides broad range of advanced materials, including copper alloy and Zinc mentioned above.