Imperial Smelting Corporation
of Avonmouth, producers of zinc, cadmium and other metals and certain chemicals
1929 Company formed to acquire National Smelting Co which was subsequently liquidated[1].
1930 Orrs Zinc White Ltd was acquired by the Imperial Smelting Corporation.
1931 Spelter production at Swansea Vale was stopped because of low prices.[2].
1931 Acquired Wrentnall Barytes Mining Company
1932 Announced completion of preliminary negotiations with ICI, Goodlass, Wall and Lead Industries Ltd, and the National Lead Co and Titan Company Inc, both of the USA, to develop the titanium industry in the UK. Also had acquired Frickers Metal and Chemical Co Ltd, the country's largest producer of zinc oxide[3].
1933 Acquired the Seaton Carew Zinc and Acid works of the Sulphide Corporation, Ltd. and the Delaville Spelter Company.
1933 British Titan Products formed to make titanium dioxide pigments[4]. Jointly owned by ICI, Imperial Smelting Corporation, Goodlass, Wall and Lead Industries and National Lead Co of America. Acquired land from ICI at Billingham to erect a plant.
1934 Fison, Packard and Prentice Ltd entered an arrangement with Imperial Smelting Corporation to establish a joint company National Fertilizers Ltd (set up in 1934) which had a sales subsidiary Fisons' Fertilizers (Western) Ltd, and also Corby Basic Slag Ltd (set up in 1935) as another subsidiary[5].
1934 Acquired the Newport Sulphuric Acid Works of the Basic Slag and Phosphate Co.
1937 Zinc smelters, sulphuric acid manufacturers. "Avonmouth" Cadmium. "Crown Special" Zinc.
WWII Increased demand for the company's products for various munitions and other military purposes; introduced Cuprinol wood preservative. Works at Avonmouth, Seaton Carew and Bloxwich[6].
1946 Imperial Smelting Corporation and British Metal Corporation made substantial investments in Wolverhampton Metal Co when it became a public company[7]; the two investors intended to play an active part in the management of the business.
1949 Acquired Anglo Austral Mines, Ltd., Fluorspar mines in Durham.
1949 the parent company was Consolidated Zinc Corporation.
1960 Owned 50 percent of Consolidated Beryllium which acquired a beryllium works at Milford Haven[8]
1968 "New Zinc/Lead smelter is world's largest". Part of Rio Tinto Zinc Corporation.
See Also
Sources of Information
- The Engineer of 10th May 1968 p728