Chromium

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Chromium is a hard grey metallic element used in steel alloys and electroplating to increase hardness and corrosion resistance. It has the chemical symbol Cr, atomic number 24 and atomic weight 51.996. ^[1]

Chromium was discovered by Louis-Nicholas Vauquelin while experimenting with a material known as Siberian red lead, also known as the mineral crocoite (PbCrO4), in 1797.^[2]

The principal ore of chromium is chromite (FeCr2O4). The metal may be produced by reducing its oxide with aluminum.^[3]

References

1. http://www.bocindustrial.co.uk/bocindustrial/technical/glossary/a.asp
2. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele024.html
3. http://chemistry.about.com/od/elementfacts/a/chromium.htm