Element 24 · Transition Metal
Chromium
Chromium gives stainless steel its corrosion resistance and chrome plating its mirror-bright finish.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Cr
ATOMIC NO.
24
ATOMIC WEIGHT
52.00
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 4
GROUP
Group 6
Overview
Chromium is element 24, a hard silvery transition metal famous for forming an invisible passivating layer of chromium oxide on its surface — this self-repairing layer is what makes stainless steel and chrome plating resistant to rust. Chromium was first isolated in 1797 by French chemist Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin from Siberian chromite ore. Today, ferrochrome (an iron-chromium alloy) is the primary form used in stainless steel manufacture. South Africa, Kazakhstan, and India dominate global chromium production. The metal is also used in tool steels, jet engine superalloys, and decorative chrome plating.
Our Scrap Grades for This Metal
We buy chromium through stainless steel scrap, which contains 16–18% chromium content.