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Chromite

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Prony Bay, Mont-Dore Commune, Southern Province, New Caledonia
© Cédrick Gineste

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Formula:
FeCr
 
2
O
 
4
System:IsometricColour:Black
Hardness:5½
Name:In allusion to its composition.


Spinel Group. Chromite-Hercynite Series, and the Chromite-Magnesiochromite Series. The chromium analogue of Zincochromite.

Usually contains some Mg and Al. Much of the mineral referred to as "chromite" in economic geology papers and mining statistics is actually the related species Magnesiochromite, and not technically the species Chromite.

Classification of Chromite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/B.03-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.BB.05

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
B : With only medium-sized cations
Dana 8th edition ID:7.2.3.3

7 : MULTIPLE OXIDES
2 : AB2X4
Hey's CIM Ref.:7.14.12

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
14 : Oxides of Cr
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Type Occurrence of Chromite

Type Locality:Bastide de la Carrade, Gassin, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Year of Discovery:1845

Occurrences of Chromite

Geological Setting:As a cumulate mineral layer in ultramafic igneous rocks, in peridotites. As placer deposits. Common in meteorites except carbonaceous chondrites.

Physical Properties of Chromite

Lustre:Metallic
Colour:Black
Streak:Brown
Hardness (Mohs):5½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=1278 - 1456 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Parting:Parting may develop along {111}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):4.5 - 4.8 g/cm3
Density (calculated):5.12 g/cm3

Crystallography of Chromite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:Fd3m (F41/d 3 2/m)
Cell Parameters:a = 8.344Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 580.93 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:8
Morphology:Octahedral crystals uncommon, modified by {001} at times. Massive, fine granular to compact.
Twinning:On {P111}
Crystal Atlas:
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Chromite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Chromite no.2 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

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Optical Data of Chromite

Type:Isotropic
RI values: n = 2.08 - 2.16
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.000 - Isotropic minerals have no birefringence
Surface Relief:Very High
Type:Isotropic
Colour in reflected light:Grey-white with brownish tint.
Internal Reflections:Brownish red

Chemical Properties of Chromite

Formula:
FeCr
 
2
O
 
4
Essential elements:Cr, Fe, O
All elements listed in formula:Cr, Fe, O
Common Impurities:Mg,Mn,Zn,Al,Ti

Relationship of Chromite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Hercynite (see here)
Forms a series with Magnesiochromite (see here)
Related to:
  • Spinel Group
    • Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

    - +
    4.BB.05Brunogeierite
    (Ge,Fe)Fe
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Cochromite
    (Co,Ni,Fe)(Cr,Al)
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Coulsonite
    FeV
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Cuprospinel
    Cu
    2+
     
    		Fe
    3+
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Filipstadite
    (Mn,Mg)
     
    2
    		(Sb
     
    .5
    		Fe
     
    .5
    		)O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Franklinite
    Zn
    2+
     
    		Fe
    3+
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Gahnite
    ZnAl
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Galaxite
    (Mn,Fe,Mg)(Al,Fe)
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Hercynite
    FeAl
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Jacobsite
    Mn
    2+
     
    		Fe
    3+
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Manganochromite
    (Mn,Fe)(Cr,V)
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Magnesiocoulsonite
    MgV
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Magnesiochromite
    MgCr
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Magnesioferrite
    MgFe
    3+
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Magnetite
    Fe
    2+
     
    		Fe
    3+
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Nichromite
    (Ni,Co,Fe)(Cr,Fe,Al)
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Qandilite
    (Mg,Fe)
     
    2
    		(Ti,Fe,Al)O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Spinel
    MgAl
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Trevorite
    Ni
    2+
     
    		Fe
    3+
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Ulvöspinel
    Fe
     
    2
    		TiO
     
    4
    4.BB.05Vuorelainenite
    (Mn,Fe)(V,Cr)
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.05Zincochromite
    ZnCr
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.10Hausmannite
    MnMn
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.10Hetaerolite
    ZnMn
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.10Hydrohetaerolite
    ZnMn
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    		·H
     
    2
    		O
    4.BB.10Iwakiite
    Mn(Fe,Mn)
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.15Maghemite
    Fe
     
    2
    		O
     
    3
    4.BB.15Titanomaghemite
    Fe
    3+
     
    		(Fe
    3+
     
    		,Ti
    4+
     
    		,Fe
    2+
     
    		,[])
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.20Tegengrenite
    (Mg,Mn
    2+
     
    		)
     
    2
    		Sb
    5+
    0.5
    		(Mn
    3+
     
    		,Si,Ti)
     
    0.5
    		O
     
    4
    4.BB.25Xieite
    Fe
    2+
     
    		Cr
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

    - +
    7.14.1Eskolaite
    Cr
     
    2
    		O
     
    3
    7.14.2Bracewellite
    CrO(OH)
    7.14.3Grimaldiite
    CrO(OH)
    7.14.4Guyanaite
    CrO(OH)
    7.14.5Yimengite
    K(Cr,Ti,Fe,Mg)
     
    12
    		O
     
    19
    7.14.6Mathiasite
    K(Ti,Cr,Fe,Mg,Zr)
     
    21
    		O
     
    38
    7.14.7Mcconnellite
    CuCrO
     
    2
    7.14.8Redledgeite
    Ba
     
    x
    		([Cr,Fe,V]
    3+
    2x
    		Ti
     
    8-2x
    		)O
     
    16
    7.14.9Hawthorneite
    BaMgTi
     
    3
    		Cr
     
    4
    		Fe
     
    4
    		O
     
    19
    7.14.10Zincochromite
    ZnCr
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    7.14.11Wattersite
    (Hg-Hg)
    2+
    2
    		Hg
    2+
     
    		[O
     
    2
    		|CrO
     
    4
    		]
    7.14.13Magnesiochromite
    MgCr
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    7.14.14 Donathite

    Other Names for Chromite

    Synonyms:
    Autunite (of Leymerie)Beresofite (of Simpson)Chromate of IronChromic IronChromoferrite
    Chrompicotite (of Lacroix)DonathiteEisenchromeFerrochromateFerrochromite
    Siderochrome
    Other Languages:
    Basque:Kromita
    Czech:Chromit
    Dutch:Chromiet
    Esperanto:Kromito
    Finnish:Kromiitti
    French:Chromite
    Fer chromaté
    Fer chromaté aluminé
    Fer chromé
    German:Chromit
    Chromeisenerz
    Chromeisenspinell
    Chromeisenstein
    Chromoferrit
    Chromsaures Eisen
    Chromspinell
    Cromit
    Eisenchrom
    Ferrochromit
    Hebrew:כרומיט
    Hungarian:Kromit
    Italian:Cromite
    Cromoferrite
    Ferro cromato
    Siderocromo
    Japanese:クロム鉄鉱
    Lithuanian:Chromitas
    Low Saxon:Chromit
    Polish:Chromit
    Portuguese:Cromita
    Romanian:Cromit
    Russian:Хромит
    Simplified Chinese:铬铁矿
    Spanish:Cromita
    Chromita
    Chromoferrita
    Ferrochromita
    Hierro cromado
    Swedish:Kromit
    Chromjernmalm
    Ukrainian:Хроміт
    Varieties:
    Aluminian ChromiteAlumoberezoviteBerezovskiteChromferritFerrian Chromite
    Titaniferous Chromite

    Other Information

    Fluorescence in UV light:None
    Other Information:Some are weakly magnetic
    Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
    Industrial Uses:Major ore source for chromium.

    References for Chromite

    Reference List:Vauqueline (1800), Bull. soc. philom.: 55: 57.

    Pemberton, H. (1891), Chromite: Chem. News: 63: 241.

    Simpson (1920), Mineralogical Magazine: 19: 99 (as Beresofite).

    Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 709-712.

    Bliss, N.W. and MacLean, W.H. (1975) The paragenesis of zoned chromite from central Manitoba. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta: 39: 973-990.

    Da Silva, E.G., Abras, A., and Sette Camara, A.O.R. (1976) Mössbauer effect study of cation distribution in natural chromites. Journal of Applied Physics: 12: 783-785.

    Fatseas, G.A., Dormann, J.L., and Blanchard, H. (1976) Study of the Fe 3+ / Fe 2+ ratio in natural chromites (Fe x Mg 1-x)(Cr 1-y-x Fe y Al z)O4. Journal of Physics: 12: 787-792.

    Da Silva, E.G., Abras, A., and Speziali, L. (1980) Mössbauer effect study of cation distribution in natural chromites of Brazilian and Philippine origin. Journal of Applied Physics: 12: 389-392.

    Osborne, M.D., Fleet, M.E., and Bancroft, G.M. (1981) Fe 2+ - Fe 3+ ordering in chromite and Cr-bearing spinels. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology: 77: 251-255.

    Mitra, S., PAl, T., and Pal, T. (1991) Petrogenic implication of the Mössbauer hyperfine parameters of Fe 3+-chromites from Sukinda (India) ultramafites. Mineralogical Magazine: 55(4): 535:542.

    Chen, Y.L., Xu, B.F., Chen, J.G., and ge, Y.Y. (1992) Fe 2+ - Fe 3+ ordered distribution in chromite spinels. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals: 19(4): 255-259.

    Leblanc, M. and Ceuleneer, G. (1992) Chromite crystallisation in multicelular magma flow: evidence from a chromitite dike in the Oman ophiolite. Lithos: 27: 231-257.

    Canadian Mineralogist (1994): 32: 729-746.

    Zhou, Mei-Fu, Robinson, P.T., and Bai, W.J. (1994) Formartion of podiform chromitites by melt/rock interaction in the upper mantle. Mineral. Deposita: 29: 98-101.

    Zhou, Mei-Fu, Robinson, P.T., Malpas, J., and Li, Z. (1996) Podiform chromitites in the Luobusa ophiolite (southern Tibet): implications for melt-rock interaction and chromite segregation in the upper mantle. Journal of Petrology: 37: 3-21.

    Figueiras, J. and Waerenborgh, J.C. (1997) Fully oxidized chromite in the Serra Alta (South Portugal) quartzites: chemical and structural characterization and geological implications. Mineralogical Magazine: 61: 627-638.

    Zhou, Mei-Fu and Robnson, P.T. (1997) Origin and tectonic environment of podiform chromite deposits. Economic geology: 92: 259-262.

    Zhou, Mei-Fu, Sun, Min, Keays, R.R., and Kerrich, R.W. (1998) Controls on platinum-group elemental distributions of podiform chromitites: a case study of high-Cr and high-Al chromitites from Chinese orogenic belts. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta: 62: 677-688.

    Barnes, S.J. (2000) Chromite in komatiites. II. Modification during greenschist to mid-amphibolite facies metamorphism. Journal of Petrology: 41: 387-409.

    Salviulo, G., Carbonin, S., and Della Giusta, A. (2000) Powder and single-crystal X-ray structural refinements on a natural chromite: dependence of site occupancies on experimental strategies. Materials Science Forum: 321-324: 46-52.

    Papike, J.J., Karner, J.M., and Shearer, C.K. (2004) Comparative planetary mineralogy: V/(Cr+Al) systematics in chromite as an indicator of relative oxygen fugacity. American Mineralogist: 89: 1557-1560.

    Internet Links for Chromite

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    Localities for Chromite

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