Mineral Commodity Summaries 2011 - Environmental and Energy ...

CHROMIUM43Stockpile Status—9-30-10 6AverageUncommitted Authorized Disposal plan Disposals chromiumMaterial inventory for disposal FY 2010 FY 2010 contentFerrochromium:High-carbon 95.4 —7 90.7 25.8 71.4%Low-carbon 59.6 — ( 7 ) 9.40 71.4%Chromium metal 4.43 — 0.907 0.151 100%Events, Trends, and Issues: Most chromite ore is converted into ferrochromium that is consumed by themetallurgical industry and most of that is consumed to make stainless and heat-resisting steel. World ingot and slabequivalent stainless and heat-resisting steel production at the end of the first half of 2010 was on track to reach 28 to34 million tons for the year. At 28 million tons, production would be about the same as that of 2006, a year of peakproduction. At 34 million tons, an historically high stainless and heat-resisting steel world production would bereached.World Mine Production and Reserves:Mine production 8 Reserves 92009 2010 e (shipping grade) 10United States — — 620India 3,760 3,800 44,000Kazakhstan 3,330 3,400 180,000South Africa 6,870 8,500 130,000Other countries 5,340 6,300NAWorld total (rounded) 19,300 22,000 >350,000World Resources: World resources are greater than 12 billion tons of shipping-grade chromite, sufficient to meetconceivable demand for centuries. About 95% of the world’s chromium resources is geographically concentrated inKazakhstan and southern Africa; U.S. chromium resources are mostly in the Stillwater Complex in Montana.Substitutes: Chromium has no substitute in stainless steel, the leading end use, or in superalloys, the major strategicend use. Chromium-containing scrap can substitute for ferrochromium in some metallurgical uses.e Estimated. NA Not available. — Zero.1 Data in thousand metric tons of contained chromium unless otherwise noted.2 Recycling production is based on reported stainless steel scrap receipts.3 Calculated consumption of chromium; equal to production (from mines and recycling) + imports – exports + stock adjustments.4 Defined as imports – exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes.5 In addition to the tariff items listed, certain imported chromium materials (see 26 U.S.C. sec. 4661, 4662, and 4672) are subject to excise tax.6 See Appendix B for definitions.7 Disposal plan for ferrochromium without distinction between high-carbon and low-carbon ferrochromium; total included in high-carbon.8 Mine production units are thousand metric tons, gross weight, of marketable chromite ore.9 See Appendix C for resource/reserve definitions and information concerning data sources.10 Reserves units are thousand metric tons of shipping-grade chromite ore, which is deposit quantity and grade normalized to 45% Cr 2O 3.U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2011