Decomposition promoting factors and decomposition mechanism in the zinc decomposition process of waste hard metals which are composed mostly of tungsten carbide and cobalt were evaluated. Zinc volatility amount was suppressed and zinc valatilization pressure was produced in the reaction graphite crucible inside an electric furnace for ZDP. Reaction was done for 2 h at $650^{circ}C$, which 100 % decomposed the waste hard metals that were over 30 mm thick. As for the separation-decomposition of waste hard metals, zinc melted alloy formed a liquid composed of a mixture of ${gamma}-{eta}1$ phase from the cobalt binder layer (reaction interface). The volume of reacted zone was expanded and the waste hard metal layer was decomposed-separated horizontally from the hard metal. Zinc used in the ZDP process was almost completely removed-collected by decantation and volatilization-collection process at $1000^{circ}C$.