Chromite

Chromite is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group, a complex mineral containing
magnesium, iron, aluminum, and Cr in varying proportions.It has a chemical formula of
(Fe, Mg)Cr2O4 . FeO = 32.0 per cent, Cr20 3 = 68.0 per cent.

o It forms a solid solution series with magnesiochromite (MgCr2O4) and hercynite (FeAl2O4).

 It is dark gray to black in color ,dark brown streak with a metallic to submetallic luster
and a high specific gravity (4.0 to 5.1) with Mohs Hardness of 5.5 to 6. The most
important clue to identifying chromite is its association with ultrabasic igneous rocks and
metamorphic rocks such as serpentinite, Referred to as chromitites. The weathering of
chromite ore bodies can also lead to its concentration in placer deposits.it is sometimes
found as a crystalline inclusion in diamond.
 chromite deposits that are large enough for mining are generally found in:
1) stratiform deposits (large masses of igneous rock such as norite or peridotite that slowly
crystallized from subsurface magma).
 Stratiform deposits occur as a sheet-like an accumulation of chromite in layered
ultramafic and mafic rocks. These deposits are in the form of a funnel shape, flat
or tabular to igneous complexes hosting chromite deposits.
 Most of the world's known chromite occurs in two stratiform deposits:
 The Bushveld Complex in South Africa and the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe.
 Other important stratiform deposits include: the Stillwater Complex in Montana,
the Kemi Complex of Finland, the Orissa Complex of India, the Goias in Brazil,
and small deposits in Madagascar.
 Nearly all of these are Precambrian in age. and are found in cratons. Thicknesses for
these layers range between 1 cm to 10’s m. Lateral depths can reach lengths of 70 km..
 Large economic deposits of chromite are generally found in stratiform complexes while a
relatively small proportion is present in podiform.
o It has less Cr/Fe ratio as compare to podiform

2) The podiform chromite is found in ophiolite sequence with associated gabbros, sheeted
dykes, mafic cumulates, and tectonics

 Podiform deposits are irregular in shape. such as pod or lensoidal bodies and often
in disseminated form.. The ores seen in this type of deposit have nodular texture
and are loosely-packed nodules with a size range of 5–20 mm..
 Podiform deposits are known in Kazakhstan, Russia, the Philippines, Zimbabwe,
Cyprus, and Greece.
o More Cr/Fe ratio as compare to stratiform deposits.
 Importance of chromite
 Chromite is important because it is the only economic ore of chromium, is a
commercially valuable mineral an essential element for a wide variety of metal, chemical,
and manufactured products. Many other minerals contain chromium, but none of them
are found in deposits that can be economically mined to produce chromium.
 Chromium is an important pigment in many types of paint, ink, dye, and cosmetics. Trace
amounts of chromium produce the color in many minerals and gemstones. The red color
of ruby, the pink of some sapphires, and the green color of emerald are caused by tiny
amounts of chromium.
 Chromite is an important mineral in helping to determine the conditions that rocks form.
It can have reactions with various gases such as CO and CO2. The reaction between these
gases and the solid chromite grains results in the reduction of the chromite and allows for
the formation of iron and chromium alloys. There could also be a formation of metal
carbides from the interaction with chromite and the gases.

Uses of chromite
 Chromite is an important source for the manufacturing of stainless steel, nichrome, paint,
and chemicals industries and has wide industrial utilization.
 Chromite bricks are used to a considerable extent as linings for metallurgical furnaces,
because of their neutral and refractory character. The bricks are usually made of crude
chromite and coal tar but sometimes of chromite with kaolin, bauxite, or other materials
 It is the main source for the extraction of chromium metal mainly used for the
manufacturing of stainless steel. Chromium is a metal used to induce hardness,
toughness, and chemical resistance in steel. Thin coatings of chromium alloys are used as
platings on auto parts, appliances, and other products. These are given the name "chrome
plated."
 It is also used to make superalloys that can perform well in the hot, corrosive, and high-
stress environment of jet engines. nichrome is resistant to high temperatures and used to
make heating units, ovens, and other appliances also as a plating material because of its
non-corrosive nature.

Chromite deposites of Pakistan

 Chromite is mostly associated with ultramafic rocks and ophiolite sequences. Chromite
deposits associated with ophiolite sequence termed as Alpine type and chromite deposits
of Pakistan are the alpine type.
  In Pakistan, Chromite deposits are associated with ophiolite sequence resulted by the
outpouring of molten material in the fractured zones of the Indian plate and Neo-Tethys
ocean in Cretaceous time.
 Pakistan has abundant chromite deposits located in both northern and western parts of the
Indus Suture Zone, Chilas Complex Sapat Complex, Jijal Complex, of Indus suture zone.
In northern Pakistan, the ultramafic complexes are.Shangla-Mingora, Malakand Agency-
Sakhakot (Dargai). in Balochistan are located at Bela ophiolites, Muslimbagh-Zhob, and
Waziristan Ophiolites.

Chilas Complex
Chilas Complex is closely allied with Kohistan-Island-Arc sequence of the Northwestern
Himalayas. Chilas Complex is chiefly composed of dunite, pyroxenite, olivine gabbro,
anorthosite, peridotite, gabbronorite and amphibolite dikes. The complex is more associated
with the stratiform.chilas complex also reported the thin layers of chromite with the 26% of Cr2
O3, 26% of Al2 O3, 37% of FeO and 9% of MgO.

Sapat Complex
Sapat Complex is mainly located in Sapat Valley. This complex is not economically rich and the
chromite layers are thin and associated with silicates. The largest mass of chromitite (a boulder)
reported by Jan, et al, is about the size of 25cm across.

Jijal Complex
Jijal Complex is located near the Indus Suture Zone. Jijal Complex includes granetgranulites and
ultramafic rocks. In the northwestern part of the Jijal complex, the chromite in ultramafic rocks is
reported in the form of pods and lenses]. The southern portion of Kohistan Island Arc involves a
10x4 km slab of chromite-bearing pyroxenite, dunite, and peridotite [6] in layered form. The
documented SDA estimates of ore reserves are 0.6mt with 40-50% of Cr2O3 and 12-18% of
Fe2O3, while the Cr: Fe ranges from 2.8:1 to 3.6:1. The important deposit locations are Jijal,
Kokial, Shungial, Gabbar, Mani Dera, Taghtai, Jag, Khairabad, Tangai, Chinari, Serai, Lomoto,
and Kot.

Malakand Agency- Sakhakot (Dargai

The chromite deposits in this area extend from Sakhakot to Qila in the east and to Malakand
Agency in the west. It comprises of ultramafic rocks containing 80% of harzburgite and 20% of
dunite; while the mafic deposits consist of gabbro with minor layers of serpentine. The
ultramafic tectonites are comprised of <10% of dunite and >90% of the harzburgite. The
chromite ore deposits, unlike most podiform deposits, develop nodular texture in many outcrops
with invariable rounded out lines. These chromite ore deposit have alpine characteristics close to
Jijal Complex. Main deposits are located at BarjoKanri, Hiru Shah, LandiKand, Qila and
Badasar.

The Dargai chromite is rich in iron and low in chromite-oxide i.e. low Cr: Fe ratio, however,
some of the ore contains 45% Cr2O3. The SDA ore reserves are estimated as ~0.67mt.

Waziristan Ophiolite
Waziristan ophiolites are distributed to an area of around 2000 km2 of the Northern Waziristan.
The rocks in this region are folded and faulted having copper mineralization with small chromite
lenses in the ultramafic and gabbro-anorthosite rocks. Dyke swarms, volcanic breccias, lava
flows, and pillow lavas were also included [1]. The lenses of chromite are 0.5-1m thick and 6m
long. The chromite in Waziristan is reported at Mami Rogha, Sherkai, Tut Nari and MadarAglad.

Bela Ophiolites
The area is part of Alpine Himalayan orogenic belt that contains mafic and ultramafic
composition. Ultramafic rocks act as hosts for Cr, Ni, Cu and PGE mineralization. The Bela
ophiolite belt runs along the western boundary of the Indian Plate from Bela to the coast of the
Arabian Sea and west of Karachi [6]. This region dominantly contains ophiolitic and continental
clasts.

Muslim-Bagh & Zhob Chromite

The Muslim Bagh chromite is found in scattered ophiolites of Zhob River valley while Zhob
Chromite is found near the Zhob town as a small deposit. The exposure of larger outcrops is near
Muslimbagh and Khanozai areas. The region displays ultramafic tectonites, mafic and ultramafic
cumulates along with Greenschist facies, Amphibolite facies, Mylonitic peridotite, Garnet
Amphibolite facies, pillow lavas, dike complex, dolerite dike swarm and dunite, harzburgite,
gabbros, etc. The irregular dike like ore bodies referred to as Aluminous chromite is having the
estimated reserves as 100-1500 ton with thin wiggly 100m of extension.

Economically the valley chromite divided into following two divisions

1) Veins, bands, and Serpentine with minor amounts

2) Serpentinizeddunite rich

These are mostly low-grade ore Chromites in Muslim Bagh may be completely opaque and
translucent. The mineralogy & petrology of the Muslim Bagh igneous complex reported by
Bilgrami revealed the presence of Cu, Ni, Co, V and Cr in the rocks.

Wad, Sonaro, Ornach Chromite

The largest ophiolitic complex of Pakistan covering 320km is located near the Khuzdar-Lasbela
district. The mélange contains Jurassic to Cretaceous sediments and huge blocks of ophiolites.
The Sonaro block shows the complete sequence of pillow lavas and sediments at the top while
ultramafic tectonites at the base with a total extension of over 116 sq. km. The ultramafic rocks
of Teru, Yasin and Pakora areas of Shyok Suture are reported with the composition of Ni, Cr,
and Co.

Bunap & Rayo Ras Koh Chromite

The Bunap and Rayo Ras Koh chromite are located 30km NW of the Kharan Kalat town. The
chromite is disseminated in dunites within 3km belt of lenticular bodies. Jones reported seven
deposits with reserves of 355 tons near the Rayo Nai while nine small-sized deposits with a total
reserve of 9664 tons near Bunap.

THE END