CHROMIUM

Chromium is found in many minerals, but the only economically significant chromium-bearing mineral is chromite. Chromite has been mined from four different deposit types: stratiform chromite, podiform chromite, placer chromite and laterite deposits. Most of the world’s resources, however, are located in stratiform chromite deposits, such as the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. The economic potential of chromite resources depends on the deposit thickness, continuity, and the grade of ore. Many of the major stratiform chromite deposits also contain economic levels of platinum, palladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium and ruthenium. The major markets for chromium materials are chromium chemicals, ferroalloys and metal. Stainless steels and superalloys require the addition of chromium via ferrochromium or chromium-containing scrap. In 2022, stainlesssteel and heat-resistingsteel producers were the leading consumers of ferrochromium. Chromite ore can also be roasted to make sodium dichromate, which is subsequently converted to chromium chemicals used in pigments and metal coatings. Chromium is also an important component in refractories, foundry applications and as a nutrient. Table 1 World production of chromium ores and concentrates, by country (kt, gross weight). (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Production The United States did not produce chromite ore in 2022. Global production of chromite ore, on a gross weight basis, was an estimated 41 Mt in 2022, compared with 42.2 Mt in 2021. South Africa was the leading chromite ore producer in 2022 and accounted for 44 percent of global production. The next leading producing countries were Turkey and Kazakhstan, with 17 percent and 16 percent of global production, respectively (Table 1). Trade The United States continued to be a net importer of many chromium materials in 2022. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, total imports for consumption of all chromium-bearing materials, including chromium chemicals, chromium metal, chromite ores, ferrochromium, and stainless-steel products and scrap, was 608 kt of contained chromium in 2022, unchanged from 607 kt of contained chromium in 2021. In 2022, total exports of all chromium-bearing materials from the United States was 132 kt of contained chromium, a 16 percent increase from 114 kt of contained chromium in 2021. Prices In 2022, the annual average U.S. ferrochromium price for high-carbon ferrochromium with 62 to 70 percent chromium content more than doubled to 320.67 cents per pound in 2022 from an annual average price of 155.81 cents per pound in 2021. The annual average U.S. price for chromium metal was $7.12/lb in 2022, a 64 percent increase compared with $4.35/lb in 2021. Outlook Domestic and global consumption of chromium is expected to follow closely the trend in stainless steel production. Operational challenges in some countries, such as electrical supply constraints, slow global economic growth, and increasing labor costs could affect ferrochromium and stainless-steel production as well as chromite mine production.

CHROMIUM

Authored by:
Ruth F. Schulte

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From sessions to strategy: Revealing long-term and emerging innovation trends in data analytics, intelligent systems and automation

Mining education gets federal boost as industry faces workforce crunch

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

CEMENT

CONSTRUCTION AGGREGATES

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