Chromium Facts
ChromeKnown for its shiny, silvery appearance, chrome is used to coat cars, stoves, and other appliances to protect them from corrosion and enhance their appearance. Chromium’s high melting point and stable structure also make it useful in the textile and refractory industries.
When combined with other elements, chrome produces vibrant colors and is used as a dye, which is what originally gave it its name from the Greek word chroma for «color.»
It is found naturally in compounds in the earth’s crust. However, consuming high levels of chromium in contaminated drinking water or inhaling fumes from the heated element can cause ulcers, cancer, and other health problems.
Data
Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 24
Atomic symbol (in the periodic table of elements): Cr
Atomic weight (average mass of the atom): 51.9961
Density: 4.13 ounces per cubic inch (7.15 grams per cubic cm)
Phase at room temperature: solid
Melting point: 3,465 degrees Fahrenheit (1,907 degrees Celsius)
Boiling Point: 4.840 F (2.671 C)
Number of natural isotopes (atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons): 4
The most common isotope: Cr-52
discovery of chromium
French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin first isolated chromium from a bright red mineral called Siberian red lead, now known as lead chromate (PbCrO4) in 1797.
According to John Emsley in his book, «Nature’s Building Blocks: An AZ Guide to the Elements» (Oxford University Press, 1999), it took Vauquelin a year to be able to precipitate lead and obtain pure chromium.
He mixed chrome into a variety of solutions and was intrigued by the many colors it produced, thus naming the element after the Greek word chromameaning «color».
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chrome fonts
Chromium is the 21st most common element found in the Earth’s crust, but it is not found in its free metallic form.
Instead, it is found primarily in the ore chromite, according to Robert E. Krebs in his book, «The History and Use of Our Earth’s Chemical Elements: A Reference Guide» (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006). Chromite is mined in Zimbabwe, Russia, New Zealand, Turkey, Iran, Albania, Finland, the Philippines, and Madagascar.
About 20,000 tons of metallic chromium are produced each year, and there are still about a billion tons of untapped deposits in Greenland, Canada and the United States, according to Emsley.
Chromium metal is obtained by heating chromite ore in the presence of aluminum or silicon, according to the Jefferson Lab.
chrome properties
Chromium is a transition metal in Group 6 of the Periodic Table of Elements. In its pure form, chrome is a hard, shiny, silvery metal that has a high degree of polish, ideal for electroplating.
The most important chromium compounds are sodium and potassium chromates, dichromates, and potassium and ammonium chromium aluminas, according to Los Alamos National Laboratory. Chromium compounds are toxic and must be handled with care.
Chromium compounds are all brightly colored and are used as pigments – bright green, yellow, red and orange.
Rubies are red due to chrome, and chrome-treated glass has an emerald green color, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Used for protection and beauty
Using a technique called electroplating, a thin layer of chrome can be coated on metal and plastic objects, including car parts and appliances, to give an attractive, shiny finish.
For example, car designers use chrome rims and wheels to spruce up their cars.
Chrome is not only used for appearance, but because chrome forms a protective layer of oxide on the surface, chrome-plated objects resist corrosion, according to Krebs.
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and at least 10.5 percent chromium. It is highly resistant to corrosion. It is used in kitchen cutlery, appliances, and kitchen utensils such as stainless steel frying pans and skillets.
About 90 percent of leather is chrome-tanned, according to Emsley. During this process, chromium sulfate is used to treat animal skin into leather that is resistant to hot water which can cause degradation.
Kilns and kilns use bricks made of chromite ore, which retains its strength at high temperatures. The textile industry uses chromium ions to help adhere dyes to fabric.
Chromium’s high melting point, moderate thermal expansion, and stable crystal structure make it suitable for these purposes.
dangerous in excess
Although its specific role in humans is unclear, studies have shown that chromium is an essential trace mineral found in RNA and helps the body use glucose. Chromium is most concentrated in the placenta, and its presence in the body decreases with age.
A safe amount is about 1 milligram per day, according to the RSC. Foods like brewer’s yeast, wheat germ and kidney are rich in chromium. However, it is poisonous in excess.
In the 2000 film «Erin Brockovich,» Julia Roberts portrays an environmental activist and legal clerk who leads a case against a gas and electric company for contaminating drinking water with chromium(VI), a toxic compound known to cause cancer.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States. Although Brockovich won the case in real life and on film, scientists have criticized his lack of evidence showing chromium(VI), and not other factors.
It was the cause of numerous health problems, including cancer, in the Hinkley, California community. However, several studies in recent years have linked chromium(VI) in tap water to cancer, and the EPA has set a drinking water concentration limit for the element to protect public health.
Excessive exposure to chrome can also cause chrome ulcers, particularly when working with it for months during chrome plating or leather tanning, according to Emsley.
Chromium ulcers itch and cause holes in the skin or in the stomach. If dust containing chromium is inhaled, industrial workers are more prone to nasal cavity ulcers and lung cancer.
Additionally, a 2017 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition linked high levels of chromium in urine to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
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