

Other applications for chromium include wood preservatives, tanning, as catalysts in industrial production, and magnets.Ĭhromium was discovered by French chemist Nicolas L. Many school busses are painted in chrome yellow.

One of the most popular colors made from chrome is yellow. It also provides corrosion protection.īecause chromium compounds come in such a variety of colors, it has also been used as a pigment in paints. Chromium is also used to produce superalloys with nickel that are used in jet engines.Īnother popular application for chromium is as a shiny silver coating on metallic surfaces. Stainless steel is strong and resistant to corrosion. One of the most important chromium alloys is produced when chromium is mixed with steel to make stainless steel. The main ore that is mined for the production of chromium is cromite.Ĭhromium is often mixed with other metals to make alloys. It is mostly found in ores scattered throughout the Earth's crust where it is about the twenty-fourth most abundant element.
Chromium table of elements free#
These include chromium(III) oxide (green), lead chromate (yellow), anhydrous chromium(III) chloride (purple), and chromium trioxide (red).Ĭhromium is only found rarely as a free element in nature. It will not react with water.Ĭhromium is known for its many colorful compounds. Chromium can be polished to achieve a shiny mirror-like finish that is resistant to corrosion.įor a metal, chromium is fairly active and will react with many other metals as well as with oxygen. When it is exposed to air a thin layer of chromium oxide forms over the surface which protects the metal from further reaction with the air. Under standard conditions chromium is a hard silvery metal with a bluish tint. Chromium atoms have 24 electrons and 24 protons with the most abundant isotope having 28 neutrons. Chromium is the first element in the sixth column of the periodic table.
