Chromite (FeO.CrjO) is an oxide of iron and chromium which mainly occurs in ultra basic igneous rocks like dunite, peridotite, and serpentine. Chromites is the most important ore for producing chromium which is widely used in metallurgical, refractory and chemical industries.
An alloy of chromium and iron (ferro-chrome) is used in the making of non-abrasive and non-corrosive special steels and armor plates. Chromium and nickel form the base for the manufacture of stainless steel. Salts of the metal are used in tanning, dyeing, safety matches, glass-making, and photography etc. Chromites bricks serve as the best refractory and are used for lining steel, copper, antimony and lead furnaces.
Reserves
Total recoverable reserves of chromites are estimated at 90 million tones. Out of this about 18 per cent is metallurgical and 22 per cent Charge
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Chrome grade. Deposits of economic significance occur in Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Manipur. However, refractory grade reserves of chromites are very limited.
Production
The production of chromites increased by more than 161 times during the 1951-2003. It stood at 30.66 lakh tones in 2000-01 against only 19,670 tons in 1951. It recorded rising trend between 1951-92 followed by fluctuating trend thereafter. In recent year (between 1997-98 and 1998-99 there has been some decline (6.4%) in the production of chromites (Table I7.XX).
Regional Distribution
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Orissa has monopoly in the production of chromites in the country. Other producers are Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar (Jharkhand) and Manipur.
Orissa-Orissa accounts for 99.37 per cent of the production of chromites in the country. Most of its deposits contain high-grade metallurgical type of chromites. These deposits occur in the Sukinda area of Cuttack district, the Nausahi area of Keonjhar district; and the Maruabil and Maulabhaya areas in Dhenkanal district.
The Sukinda area lies between the Diateri and Mahagiri ranges. Here the chromites belt runs for 2 kms and contains 15 exposures. The ore is high grade with 40-50 per cent of chromium. In the Nausahi area the deposits form bands, lenses and disseminations in serpentine rocks for a distance of about 4 km. The lodes consist of massive chromites and are up to 15 m in thickness.
Karnataka-Karnataka is the second largest producer of chromites in India accounting for 0.62 percent of the national output. Here chromites deposits occur in Hassan, Mysore, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Chikmagalur and Mandya districts. In Hassan district. High grade chromite occurs in an area of 89 sq. km.
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It occupies a 56-km long schist belt between Jambur and Arsikere with important deposits at Byrapur, Chikhonhalli, Pensamudra, Bhaktarhalli, Tagadur and Jambur. In Mysore district minor deposits are found in Kadkota, Talur, Gorur, Dodkanya, Sindhuvalli and Dodkattur areas. Low grade chromites are found near Tarikere in Chikmagalur district and near Krishnarajpet and Kabbal in Mandya district.
Maharashtra-in 2002-03 Maharashtra produced 29 tons (0.0009% of India) of chromites. Main occurrences are near Kankauli and Vagda in Ratnagiri district and around Taka, Pauni and Belgatta in Bhandara district (mineral content 31 -38 percent).
Bihar-In Bihar chromites is found in the hills of Roroburu, Chitungburu, Kiriburu and Kittaburu in Singhbhum district (around Jajahatu area). The mineral content is nearly 53 per cent with estimated reserves at 26,000 tones. The output is declining in recent years.
Others-In Tamil Nadu deposits of chromites occur at Sithampundi in Salem district. The ore is low grade (mineral content about 21 per cent) and the production is very small.
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In Andhra Pradesh deposits of chromites are found in Kondapalle hills of Krishna district and in the Dendkuru and Gauravaram areas in Khammam district. The ores are hard-massive and soft- friable with mineral content between 39 and 55 per cent. The output is very low.
Small deposits of chromites have also been found near Moreh(Tameng long district) in Manipur; Chakargaon near Port Blair (Andamans); Kokapur and Vartha in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat; and nearDras, Bembat and Tashgaon in Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir).
Consumption and Trade
India’s consumption of chromites is low. However, this consumption is increasing due to rapid expansion in ferro-chrome and refractory industries, India exports a sizeable quantity of its chromites production (about 2 lakh tones per annum) to China, Japan, Australia, U.K., U.S.A., Norway, Germany and Sweden in the form of either ore or bricks and ferro-chrome. During 1993-94 India exported 3.08 lakh tones of chromites worth Rs. 73.52 crores; about 90 per cent of the export going to China alone.