A PRESENTATION ON

CHROMIUM
 CONTENT

⚫ Introduction
⚫ Mineralogy
⚫ Mode of occurrence
⚫ Origin
⚫ Geographical distribution
⚫ Geological distribution
⚫ Uses
⚫ Reference
 INTRODUCTION
Chromite is a strategic mineral and is an essential mineral for making
chrome-steel, refractory materials and chromium chemicals.
The chromium is remarkable for the red, yellow or green colour of its compound.
India has been one of the important producers and exporters of the mineral for the
first several decades. Recently, some restriction have been imposed on the export of
chrome-ore with the industrial advancement, the demand for chromite production has
been increased. The world chromite production increased to 13 million tones in 1990
from about 11.6 million tones.To the above, India contributed about 940 thousands
tones (7.2%) and ranked third in the world production. The world reserves of
chromite are placed at 6800 million tones.
Mineralogy
⚫ Iron black or brownish black
⚫ Brown sterak
⚫ Sub-metallic lustre
⚫ Hardness-5.5
⚫ Chromite
 ORIGIN
• Chromite deposits are characterised by their close relationship with
deep-seated intrusive igneous rocks.
•They have originated from concentration of early magmatic crystallisation
•they have long been considered unimpeachable illustration of early
magmatic seggregation which is supported by field and microscopic
evidences at many places. In some places disseminated grains have
undergone residual concentration.
 MODE OF OCCURRENCE
Primary chromite deposits occur only in ultrabasic or closely related
anorthosite rocks in the form of lenses, layers, massive veins and
disseminated grains.
Example of ultrabasic rocks are peridodite,Dunite,sarconite, and
pyroxenite of Archean age.
The Indian chromites occurs in-
-banded, massive
-banded, crystalline
-massive
-crystalline
-disseminated forms
The kondapalli( Andhra Pradesh) and Chaibasa (Bihar) ores are
banded,massive, while the Sukinda and Nausahi (Orissa) ore are
banded, crystalline. The disseminated ores are found in Kondapalli
(Andhra Pradesh).
 On the basis of their mode of occurrences, Thayere (1969) classified
the chromite, deposits into the following two types
1.Stratiform type deposits
The bands and layers indicate gravitative settling.Graded bedding and
gradiation of grain size and more frequent.Pyroxenite and peridotite and
more common rock types. They tend to be ferriferous and less
aluminous.These type deposit occur in the Precambrian and Archean
geosynclines. For example-deposits of South Africa. In India, the
deposits of Sukinda-Nausahi, Chaibasa, etc. areas are associated with
pyroxenite, peridotite and dunite of pre-cambrian-archean age represent
stratiform type of deposit.
2.Podiform type deposits
They most occur in nodular form and are associated with dunite and
serpentinite.They occur along the Tertiary geosynclines. In India, the
deposits of this type are in Ladakh(Jammu and Kashmir) and
Manipur.They are associated with dunite and serpentinite and are
emplaced into the Mesozoic-Tertiary geosynclines along the cores of
fold.
 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
The main producer of chromite in the world are Russia, Republic of South
Africa,, U.S.A, Turkey, Cuba, India etc.
In India, chromite occur in Keonjhar, Cuttack and Dhenkanal districts of
Orissa; Chaibasa in Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. Krishna district in Andhra
Pradesh,Hassan districts of Karnataka, Ladakh districts of Jammu& Kashmir
and Manipur
 GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION
Chromite deposits of India are all of Archean age. The deposits occur in
association with ultra basic igneous rocks like peridotites, norites, dunites,
pyroxenites, etc.
The Indian chromite deposits are distributed mainly in 3 type of
formations:
The Eastern Ghats Group of rocks;
The Iron-Ore Group-Dharwar Group of rocks;
The Tertiary formations
 CHROMITE DEPOSITS OF INDIA
1.Orissa-It is the major chromite producing area in India. The chromite
deposits occur in Keonjhar, Cuttack and Dhenkanyal districts in
talc-serpentine rock among the Iron-Ore Series.The ore is of high grade with
40-50% Cr2O3.
2.Bihar-In Bihar, the chromite deposit are found near Jojahatu and Roroburu
ares of Singhbhum district. These deposit occur in dunite and Saxonite which
intrude into the rocks of Iron-Ore Series. On the average, the ore of these
area contains about 53% Cr2O3.
3.Maharastra-The chromite deposits are found in Ratnagiri and Bhandara
districts.The chromite is worked near pauni in Bhandara district,here
chromite occurs as thin layer in serpentinites of Sakoli Series.The ore is of
variable composition with Cr2O3 between 35% to 50%.
4.Karnataka-Important chromite deposits are found in Hassan and Mysore districts.
Chromite occurs in serpentinized peridotites and amphibolites among Dharwars.
5.Andhra Pradesh-Chromite deposits are found near Kondapalle in Krishna district.
Here chromite occur in serpentinized ultrabasic Charnockites.
6.Tamil Nadu-Chromite deposits are found in Sitampundi of Salem district, here the
chromite occur in anorthosites and pyroxenites which are intruded as sheets in the
Biotite-gneiss.
 USES
Chromite is chiefly used-
in meteorological industries for manufacture of various alloys of
chromium with iron, nickel, cobalt, tungsten etc.
in the refractory industries due to its resistant against corrosion,
high temperature and sudden temperature changes and its
chemically neutral character
in chemical industries, for the manufacture of chromium
compounds like chromates and bi-chromates and chromic acid
etc
 REFERENCE
⚫ ECONOMIC GEOLOGY (ECONOMIC MINERAL DEPOSITS) by

UMESHWAR PRASAD

⚫ A HANDBOOK OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY by A.K. SEN & P.K. GUHA

THANK YOU