S ~ ASPECTS OF CHROMITE WITH REGARD TO

An investigation was undertaken to review and examine the uses of chromite, and determine if North Carolina chromite could meet any of the present industrial requirements. Samples from six of the largest deposits were concentrated and thoroughly cleaned to remove all gangue constituents. These concentrates were then analysed to determine the composition of the chrome spinel constituents in each sample. This report contains a general review of the uses of chromite. It also explains why North Carolina chromite has been disregarded in the past, and why it should be considered in the future. Chromite Chemistry Chromite is the major mineralogical constituent of chrome ores. It has been described as follows: isometric in octahedrons, commonly massive, fracture uneven, brittle, H. = 5.5, G. = 4.1- 4.9, luster submetallic to metallic, color between iron black and brown black, streak brown, and sometimes feebly magnetic. (1) Chromite is a double oxide of the spinel group fitting the general formula RO • RI203 (like spinel, MgO • A1203; magnesioferrite, MgO • Fe203; magnetite, FeO • Fe203; and hercynite l FeO • AI203). The basic formula for chromite i