chromite
1
9.5
- noun
- /ˈkroʊmaɪt/
- Specialized
- Chromite is used to make stainless steel.
Examples
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The quality of chromite can vary significantly, affecting its suitability for different applications.
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The Ring of Fire area of muskeg swamps in northwestern Ontario may be the site of a major new chromite mine that could affect the fate of the caribou.
Academic text (2012) -
A 9-millimeter-wide strip of doped lanthanum chromite runs the length of each cell to link it to the cell beside it.
Academic text (1994) -
Chromite Swiftpaw Level 85
Blog text (28) -
Among those studied are the following: tungsten mining mud waste, vanadium tailings, copper mine tailings, iron ore tailings, and chromite ore processing residues.
Academic text (2018) -
Chromite is the main mineral used to produce chromite for stainless steel production.
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Mining companies explore areas rich in chromite to extract this valuable ore for industrial use.
Surface Forms
Morphology
chromite = chromium + chrome (semi-transparent) = chrom + ite
The element-related root 'chrom-' (chrome/chromium) plus the mineral-forming suffix '-ite' signals a mineral related to chromium, but the specific technical sense 'principal ore of chromium' and the suffix '-ite' may not be fully productive or familiar to B1 learners.
Etymology
The word chromite begins with chrome, from Greek chroma meaning 'color', because many chromium substances make bright colors, and the ending -ite is used for minerals. So chromite is the mineral ore that contains chromium metal, the same metal used for shiny 'chrome' finishes and colorful materials.