It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard and brittle transition metal. Chromium boasts a high usage rate as a metal that is able to be highly polished while resisting tarnishing. Chromium is also the main component of stainless steel, a popular steel alloy due to its uncommonly high specular reflection. Simple polished chromium reflects almost 70% of the visible spectrum, with almost 90% of infrared light waves being reflected
The two main products of chromite refining are Ferro Chrome and Chromium Metal. For the production of Ferro Chrome the chromite ore is reduced, usually by coal and coke in a high temperature reaction in an electric arc furnace to form the iron-chrome alloy. For production of pure chrome the iron has to be separated from the chrome in a two-step roasting and leaching process.
Chromium metal is of high value for its high corrosion resistance and hardness. A major development in steel production was the discovery that steel could be made highly resistant to corrosion and discoloration by adding metallic chromium to form stainless steel. Stainless steel and chrome plating (electroplating with chromium) together comprise 85% of the commercial use.
Ferrochromium alloy is commercially produced from chromite by silicothermic or aluminothermic reactions and chromium metal by roasting and leaching processes followed by reduction with carbon and then aluminium. Few types :