Chromium (Cr)
The most distinguishing feature of chromium is that it is shiny, beyond that, as a raw material it is a hard, grey metal with a high melting point. As witnessed by any classic car enthusiast it can be polished to an incredible shine and it has outstanding resistance to corrosion, which is why it is used as a protective and decorative coating for a huge variety of metal products. Its anti-corrosion characteristics are due to its ability to prevent the diffusion of oxygen into coated surfaces: swords and bolts coated in chromium, which date back 2,000 years, have been found without any signs of rust!
The most common form of chromium metal exists as an alloy in stainless steel, where it is used to increase hardness and as a protective ...
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