Cation to anion stoichiometry of chromite: A new perspective

Ferric to ferrous ratios of a batch of chromite samples from the Bushveld Complex, South Africa, were measured to calculate the cation to oxygen stoichiometry per unit cell. Cation deficiency, due to post-magmatic oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ is widespread. Oxidised chromite reduces more readily than unoxidised material and naturally occurring non-stoichiometric chromite is likely to be a more suitable feedstock for the ferro-alloys industry. This factor is often overlooked during routine mineralogical characterisations. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.