Zinc semi-finished products and products as well as sulphur chemicals for industry, construction and battery technology
GRILLO-Werke AG
Duisburg · Goslar · Frankfurt am Main · Datteln · Zinacor (Belgium)New on Amplifa
About GRILLO-Werke
GRILLO-Werke AG is an internationally active family-owned company headquartered in Duisburg, specialised in zinc and sulphur. The Metals division manufactures zinc powder, wires, strips, rods, anodes, zinc oxide and die-casting alloys (ZAMAK) as well as zinc sheet for roofs, façades and roof drainage; its subsidiary RHEINZINK is the German market leader in titanium zinc. In the Chemicals division, sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid, oleum, dimethyl sulphate, sodium bisulphate and zinc sulphate are produced; at the Duisburg headquarters, around 120,000 t of spent sulphuric acid are recycled annually using a proprietary process. Further services include corrosion protection of steel bridges by thermal spraying with zinc or zinc-aluminium as well as the patented Grillo-KKS concrete for corrosion protection of reinforced concrete structures. The products serve industries such as automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints, glass, animal feed and construction; the export share is around 50%. With six production sites in Germany, Belgium and England, the group achieved revenue of €713 million in 2023.
- Site
- Duisburg
- Processes
- Thermal spraying with zinc or zinc-aluminium, Rolling of zinc sheet (zinc rolling mill, continuous casting and rolling), Manufacture of zinc semi-finished products (wires, strips, rods, anodes, zinc powder), Manufacture of die-casting alloys (ZAMAK), Recycling of spent sulphuric acid (splitting at high temperatures), Manufacture of sulphur chemicals (sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid, dimethyl sulphate,, Manufacture of zinc oxide from SHG zinc, Manufacture of titanium zinc sheet for roofs, façades and roof drainage
- Materials
- Zinc, SHG zinc (Special High Grade), Titanium zinc, ZAMAK (zinc die-casting alloy), Zinc oxide, Zinc-aluminium, Aluminium, Sulphur / sulphuric acid
- Certificates
- EcoVadis Rating Bronze Medal, RIGK climate protection certificate (packaging recycling sodium benzoate,, EcoVadis Bronze Medal, RIGK climate protection certificate
- Founded
- 1842
- Industries
- Energy and battery industry, Automotive, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Paints/Coatings
- 01
Zinc and sulphur raw materials (including Closing-the-Loop with Aurubis)
- 02
Processing/recycling (spent sulphuric acid, zinc enrichment)
- 03
Manufacture of zinc semi-finished products, zinc powder, ZAMAK, titanium zinc
- 04
Sulphur chemicals production
- 05
Thermal spraying / corrosion protection
- 06
Distribution in Europe and worldwide
Materials and Processes
Zinc / SHG zinc
Base material for semi-finished products, zinc powder, anodes and zinc oxide made from high-purity Special High Grade zinc.
Titanium zinc
Material for zinc sheet in roofing, façade and roof drainage applications.
ZAMAK (zinc die-casting alloy)
Die-casting alloy for automotive and electronics, further developed since 2025 in cooperation with Glencore.
Zinc oxide
Auxiliary and active ingredient made from SHG zinc for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, batteries, paints and electronics.
Zinc-aluminium
Spray wire material for long-lasting corrosion protection on steel bridges.
Aluminium
Aluminium wire (GG-Alu-PROTECT) for thermal spraying.
Sulphur / sulphuric acid
Basis of the chemical products, including recycling of spent sulphuric acid into high-purity sulphur dioxide.
Dimethyl sulphate / sodium bisulphate
Chemicals for cosmetics, paints, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and cleaning agents.
Steel
Substrate material for thermally sprayed zinc coatings in steel and bridge construction.
Sites
Duisburg
DEHeadquarters; Metals production (zinc powder, semi-finished products) and Chemicals (sulphuric acid recycling, sulphur
- Materials
- Zinc, sulphur chemicals
- Sulphuric acid recycling plant (approx. 120,000 t/a)
Goslar
DEMetals production – Grillo Zinkoxid GmbH (zinc oxide)
- Materials
- SHG zinc, zinc oxide
Frankfurt am Main (Industriepark Höchst)
DEChemicals production (dimethyl sulphate, sulphuric acid, oleum, sodium bisulphate)
- Materials
- Sulphuric acid, dimethyl sulphate
- Largest DMS production plant in Europe
- Largest sodium bisulphate plant in Europe
Datteln
DERHEINZINK GmbH & Co. KG – titanium zinc production
- Materials
- Titanium zinc, zinc
- Continuous casting and rolling
Zinacor (Belgium)
BEMetals production (Zinacor S.A.)
- Materials
- Zinc, zinc alloys
Products and Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal spraying with zinc or zinc-aluminiumSurface | – | – | – | – | Zinc, Zinc-aluminium, Aluminium |
| Rolling of zinc sheet (zinc rolling mill, continuous casting and rolling)Forming | – | – | – | – | Zinc, Titanium zinc |
| Manufacture of zinc semi-finished products (wires, strips, rods, anodes, zinc powder)Forming | – | – | – | – | Zinc, Die-casting alloys (ZAMAK) |
| Manufacture of die-casting alloys (ZAMAK)Casting | – | – | – | – | ZAMAK, Zinc alloys |
| Recycling of spent sulphuric acid (splitting at high temperatures)Engineering | – | – | 120,000 t/a sulphuric acid | – | Sulphuric acid, Sulphur dioxide |
| Manufacture of sulphur chemicals (sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid, dimethyl sulphate,Engineering | – | – | – | – | Sulphur, Zinc |
| Manufacture of zinc oxide from SHG zincEngineering | – | – | – | – | Zinc, SHG zinc |
| Manufacture of titanium zinc sheet for roofs, façades and roof drainageForming | – | – | – | – | Titanium zinc, Zinc |
| Corrosion protection of steel bridges and reinforced concrete structures (Grillo-KKS concrete, zincSurface | – | – | – | – | Zinc, Zinc-aluminium, Steel, Concrete |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Sustainability
GRILLO Zinc Metals GmbH and GRILLO Zinc Powder GmbH were awarded the EcoVadis Bronze Medal; trading products again received RIGK climate protection certificates for packaging recycling.
| Evidence | Duisburg |
|---|---|
| EcoVadis Bronze Medal | |
| RIGK climate protection certificate |
History
- 1842
Beginnings of the Grillo family in the Ruhr region; origin of the company's history
- 1848/49
Wilhelm Grillo builds a rolling mill in Duisburg-Neumühl, using the water power of the Emscher, for the production of zinc sheet
- 1854
Permission to operate a steam engine; cornerstone for the Oberhausen operations
- 1860
Start of coal gas production in Oberhausen
- 1865
Start of production of zinc white (zinc oxide as paint pigment)
- 1881
Own crude zinc smelter in Duisburg-Hamborn
- 1887
Large plant for processing roasting gases into sulphurous acid
- 1893
Conversion into Aktiengesellschaft für Zink-Industrie
- 1895
Own sulphuric acid production
- 1908
Zinc sheet processing in Hamborn with an electrically driven zinc rolling mill
- 1964
Founding of the Studiengesellschaft für Metallverarbeitung; adaptation of continuous casting and rolling
- 1966
Founding of Rheinzink in Datteln; renaming of the company
- 2001
Ulrich Grillo joins the management board of the family-owned company
- 2004
Ulrich Grillo leads the Grillo-Werke
- 2005
Full acquisition of Rheinzink by the Grillo group
- 2024
Major fire at the Duisburg headquarters (zinc sulphate plant); sale of Metra Non-Ferrous Metals Ltd. to Hypax
- 2025
Robus Capital acquires 80% of the shares in RHEINZINK; cooperation with Glencore on ZAMAK; lifting of force majeure