Luxi Lantian Hi-Tech Company is a pacesetter in the non-ferrous metal circular economy based in Luxi county, Xiangxi, and a provincial-level single champion in manufacturing in Hunan province specializing in recycled zinc. Established in June 2008 with registered capital of 90 million yuan ($13.29 million), the firm operates in the Southern Zone of Wuxi Industrial Park, occupying a site of over 310 mu (20.67 hectares). For 16 years, the enterprise has upheld a development philosophy centered on resource recycling, green manufacturing and digital transformation, focusing on the harmless treatment and resource recovery of lead-zinc smelting residues. It has grown into a benchmark player with robust technological capacity and market influence within China's recycled zinc niche market.

The zinc electrowinning iron removal production line maintains stable operation.

By the end of 2024, the company's total assets exceeded 300 million yuan, and it employed nearly 500 staff, including more than 70 technical specialists. Its workforce comprises four senior engineers and over 20 professionals holding intermediate and above professional titles, with expertise spanning metallurgical processes, automation and environmental governance, laying a solid talent foundation for technological upgrades and digital transition. The firm specializes in the comprehensive recovery of non-ferrous waste residues, including secondary zinc oxide, copper-cadmium slag, and zinc dross. It is the only enterprise in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture qualified to handle and recycle hazardous copper-cadmium slag safely.

Four modern production lines run at the facility, delivering a core annual output of 80,000 metric tons of electrolytic zinc, 20,000 metric tons of zinc alloy, 1,200 metric tons of zinc powder and 500 metric tons of refined cadmium. Operations simultaneously recover lead, indium, germanium and other rare and precious metals, enabling full-value recycling of raw materials across the production chain.

The company holds accreditation as a National High-tech Enterprise, a Hunan Provincial Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovative (SRDI) "Little Giant" Enterprise, and one of Hunan's Top 50 non-ferrous metal enterprises. In 2024, it was named among the fifth batch of provincial-level manufacturing single champions in Hunan. It runs a provincial enterprise technology center and a prefecture-level engineering research center, and has secured certification under the three core ISO management systems. As one of the principal drafting organizations, it contributed to the formulation of the national standard GB/T 21651-2018, Recycled Zinc and Zinc Alloy Ingots. The firm holds 41 authorized patents, 12 of which are invention patents, and multiple core technologies meet advanced domestic standards.

High-grade recycled zinc products ensure stable market supply.

The business maintains consistent, robust growth. Operating revenue rose from 1.19 billion yuan in 2024 to 1.65 billion yuan in 2025 and is projected to reach 2 billion yuan in 2026. Average annual growth has surpassed 20 percent over the past three years. Capacity utilization for its flagship electrolytic zinc product has stabilized between 85 and 90 percent, while the production-to-sales ratio remains above 98 percent. Its market strategy prioritizes domestic sales supported by overseas trade. Domestic revenue accounts for 90 percent of turnover, serving industrial clusters within Hunan, the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta; overseas sales make up the remaining 10 percent, with products exported to Southeast Asia and Europe. Its recycled zinc products capture 15.87 percent of China's niche market and 7.46 percent of the global market, steadily strengthening the company's industry influence.

Significant progress has been achieved through the integration of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. The enterprise has built a digital quality control framework anchored on distributed control system (DCS) process management, supported by ERP platforms and enhanced via AI algorithm optimization. A full-plant DCS network covers all core production workflows, with a network of sensors gathering real-time operational data, including temperature and pH readings. AI modeling dynamically adjusts raw material ratios and process parameters, thereby limiting pH fluctuations to ±0.1 during leaching. Automation covers more than 90 percent of key procedures. On the operational management side, the UFIDA U8 ERP system connects data streams across procurement, inventory and finance. It adopts a hybrid computing architecture combining on-site industrial computing infrastructure and public cloud services for administrative work, safeguarding production data security and operational efficiency. In 2020, the company led a provincial key research project focused on intelligent zinc smelting. Following implementation, zinc leaching rates stabilized above 96 percent, while overall energy consumption fell by 8.3 percent.

The firm boasts a mature research and development ecosystem. Over the past three years, R&D spending consistently accounted for more than 3 percent of annual revenue, totaling over 130 million yuan. It retains independent control over core smelting processes and management technologies; only high-end testing instruments and certain high-precision sensors rely on imports. It maintains long-term industry-university-research collaboration with Central South University to jointly develop core technologies and to operate a talent-training base. The company carries out pilot trials using its in-house infrastructure. It advocates for the creation of a provincial public pilot testing platform for the non-ferrous metals sector, designed to lower R&D costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The enterprise delivers tangible results in green development. A multi-stage water recycling system achieves an 85 percent water reuse rate across the plant. Innovative impurity-removal processes facilitate near-zero solid waste discharge, supported by a 24-hour online environmental monitoring system, and all emission indicators exceed national regulatory requirements. The company has paid cumulative taxes exceeding 190 million yuan and provides stable employment for nearly 500 residents. It operates in full compliance with safety and environmental regulations and actively fulfills its social responsibilities.

Moving forward, the company will continue to deepen its focus on recycled zinc production, advance deeper integration between artificial intelligence and manufacturing, consolidate its strengths as a manufacturing single champion, and strive to build a nationally leading base for comprehensive non-ferrous waste residue recycling. It aims to drive high-quality industrial growth at the county level.