Chromite is the only ore for chromium, a hard corrosion resistant metal that can be polished, has a high melting point and is used primarily as a coating/finish for stainless steel. Its yellow color is also used in pigments. Chromite is part of the spinel group of minerals.

Chromite is associated with the minerals olivine, magnetite, serpentine, and corundum. It is found in two deposit types: stratiform (layered) and podiform (pod shaped). The largest deposit being currently mined is in the Bushveld complex of South Africa.

Spectral Evolution’s oreXpress, oreXplorer or oreXpert field portable spectrometers are well- suited for in situ identification of chromite. With a rugged, all solid state design, Spectral Evolution field spectrometers are ideal for field use. Using our contact probe (10 mm spot size) or our Miniprobe (3mm spot size), a geologist can take hundreds of scans in a day in the field or in the core shack. The oreXpress, oreXplorer and oreXpert take high resolution/high sensitivity scans for accurate and clean spectra.

Chromites have distinct absorption features at 490, 590, 690, 940, 1300, 1750, 2000 and 2300 nm.

Using the oreXpress, oreXplorer or oreXpert with EZ-ID, a geologist can quickly identify an alteration mineral that may not be readily identifiable by sight, matching an unknown sample against a known spectral library. EZ-ID allows the geologist to select specific spectral regions to fine-tune the matching process for a more precise ID. If the geologist wants to look at a particular absorption feature, it can be highlighted so that EZ-ID can flag similar matches. EZ-ID includes a Library Builder module for the inclusion of project and location specific scans of known samples for comparison with target samples.

DARWin SP Data Acquisition software is included with all Spectral Evolution spectrometers and spectroradiometers. All spectra collected with an oreXpress, oreXplorer or oreXpert are saved as ASCII files for easy import into other 3rd party analysis software for mine planning, mineral mapping and 3D imaging.

Identify chromite using EZ-ID and its libraries of known sample spectra. Or use the Library Builder software module to create your own project specific library from known samples.