Chromium is a steely-gray, lustrous metal which is hard and brittle with a high melting point. Chromium Powder is mainly used in the production of infiltrated and sintered chromium copper switch contacts in both the high and medium voltage range. It resists tarnishing and can be highly polished to achieve a mirror-like finish. In fact, polished Chromium reflects almost 70% of the visible spectrum of light.

When left exposed to air, Chromium metal is passivated by oxidation, forming a thin and protective oxide as a surface coating. This insoluble layer, while only a few molecules thick, is very dense and prevents the diffusion of oxygen into the underlying metal, making the material inherently resistant to corrosion. These resilient qualities of the metal pave the way for its applications.

What is Chromium used to make?

Chromium is essential to the discovery and production of Stainless Steel–where the addition of 10 to 30% of Chromium (typically a minimum of 10.5%) makes the steel highly lustrous, and resistant to both corrosion and discoloration. The making of this alloy, stainless steel, is one of the two most significant uses of Chromium. The other is Chrome Plating–a technique where a mirror-like coating of the metal is applied to another surface through electroplating. This can be done for both decorative or functional purposes – the latter being done to increase the strength and corrosion resistance of a substrate material. Chrome plating is most commonly seen on our cars and bicycles and increasingly in furniture and interior design as well.

Chromium metal is also widely used as a catalyst and its compounds are sought after as pigments, for their bright green, yellow, red, purple, black and orange hues. Other applications of the material include the tanning of leather, the making of dyes and wood preservatives.