Crocoite, a combination of lead and chromium, was discovered in a group mining sites in Siberia in 1761. Since chromium was not an officially discovered element, crocoite was thought to be lead mixed with a small amount of selenium and iron. After crocoite was taken in interest in, the discovery of chromium became possible. It was discovered in 1777 to 1798 by Nicholas Louis Vauquelin. Nicholas Louis Vauquelin took a portion of crocoite, which was actually a mineral with the chemical structure of one lead atom, one chromium atom, and four oxygen atoms. Vauquelin separated isolated the chromium by separating the lead from the substance with hydrochloric acid and heating the resulting chromium trioxide to separate the oxygen.
Chromium is most abundantly found in South Africa, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, and India. Eleven million tons of chromium is produced every year in South Africa, which is forty eight percent of all annual chromium production in the world. Today, the vast majority of the chromium that is manufactured is used in metal alloys. The main uses of chromium are to manufacture chrome and stainless steel. Chrome is a thin layer of chromium placed over another solid for corrosion resistance, decoration, or protection. Stainless steel is made up of at least 10.5 percent chromium and is more resistant to corrosion than typical metal alloys. In addition, nichrome, an alloy of chromium and nickel, is used in wires to protect them from damage and corrosion. In the past, chromium was used for paints and dyes. Various chromium compounds, including a variety of powders, have different vibrant colors. The chromium in crocoite causes it to appear bright red.
Though there are four natural isotopes of chromium (Cr-50, Cr-52, Cr-53, Cr-54), chromium has several man-made isotopes that are not found in nature. Cr-50 is the only unstable, naturally-occurring isotope of chromium. However, there are twenty-two man-made isotopes of chromium that are all unstable. Except for Cr-51, they all have a half-life that is less than one day. This means that they break down into a stable state very quickly and emit a lot of radiation in a short amount of time.
Hexavalent chromium, chromium with six positive ions, is created when chromium is oxidized, a process in which chromium is heated. Inhaling the hexavalent state of chromium may cause cancer. Health administrations have been organized that prevent against and find solutions to the dangers of hexavalent chromium as well as other toxic substances.
Chromium gives compounds very vibrant colors, and there is a wide variety of colors chromium can give off. Because of this, the name chromium comes from the Greek word "khrōma," which means color.
Chromium is most abundantly found in South Africa, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, and India. Eleven million tons of chromium is produced every year in South Africa, which is forty eight percent of all annual chromium production in the world. Today, the vast majority of the chromium that is manufactured is used in metal alloys. The main uses of chromium are to manufacture chrome and stainless steel. Chrome is a thin layer of chromium placed over another solid for corrosion resistance, decoration, or protection. Stainless steel is made up of at least 10.5 percent chromium and is more resistant to corrosion than typical metal alloys. In addition, nichrome, an alloy of chromium and nickel, is used in wires to protect them from damage and corrosion. In the past, chromium was used for paints and dyes. Various chromium compounds, including a variety of powders, have different vibrant colors. The chromium in crocoite causes it to appear bright red.
Though there are four natural isotopes of chromium (Cr-50, Cr-52, Cr-53, Cr-54), chromium has several man-made isotopes that are not found in nature. Cr-50 is the only unstable, naturally-occurring isotope of chromium. However, there are twenty-two man-made isotopes of chromium that are all unstable. Except for Cr-51, they all have a half-life that is less than one day. This means that they break down into a stable state very quickly and emit a lot of radiation in a short amount of time.
Hexavalent chromium, chromium with six positive ions, is created when chromium is oxidized, a process in which chromium is heated. Inhaling the hexavalent state of chromium may cause cancer. Health administrations have been organized that prevent against and find solutions to the dangers of hexavalent chromium as well as other toxic substances.
Chromium gives compounds very vibrant colors, and there is a wide variety of colors chromium can give off. Because of this, the name chromium comes from the Greek word "khrōma," which means color.