Chromium is a durable and corrosion-resistant element found in nature as chromite. It is used in alloys, surface finishes, and dyes/paints for its color properties. Chromium has seven isotopes, including a slightly radioactive one used in medical research.
Chromium is an element named for its property of displaying colors. The element is what gives color to many different objects, from emeralds to leather dyes, and exists in nature as a mineral called chromite. Properties of chromium include durability and resistance to corrosion.
At room temperature, chromium is a solid. The mineral has a melting point of 3.465°F (about 1.907°C) and boils at 4.840°F (about 2.671°C). With 24 protons in the nucleus of each chromium atom, the atomic number is 24. Chromium belongs to a group of elements that exist in nature as metals; this transition metal is commonly used in the formation of other types of metals and substances. By itself, it is a very brittle metal that is easily broken.
One of the properties of chromium is its strength in alloying. It is also often used in surface finishes, as it can be polished to a bright, reflective, metallic blue-white. Being resistant to rust and other types of corrosive damage, it is often used to cover more delicate metals and alloys. Stainless steel and armor are typically made from an alloy that results in a chrome finish, as it can also be easily bonded to another material.
When chromium was first discovered, it was the color that attracted scientists’ attention. Isolated from small amounts of Siberian red lead, it was later found that when the chromium ore was subjected to different reactions, it produced different colors. It is now used as an element in many types of dyes and paints and can be combined to create colors from yellow to black. The red lead in which it was first discovered has long been used as a coloring pigment for paints. Scientists have also identified the properties of chromium that give rubies their characteristic red color, as well as the green of emeralds.
The mineral forms chromium oxide when exposed to oxygen and can be reacted with aluminum to form the more desirable metallic form of the element. One of the properties of chromium is that it will react with almost any acid; it is these reactions that create the shape used to coat other metals and to add colors to other compounds. Chromium metal is not as reactive as the oxide form, making it an ideal surfacing material.
Chromium also has seven different isotopes, meaning it exists with seven different masses. There are various uses for these different isotopes, including medical research. One of the properties of chromium-51 is a slight radioactivity that is safe for use in the human body; it is often used to study how blood flows through the body and the life cycle of individual cells. In fact, a small amount of chromium occurs naturally in the body, where it helps process nutrients.
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