The Unique Qualities of Oregon Chromite

Prior to the start of excavation, a key part of our preparation was a serious analysis of the mineral deposits found in the ancient black sands of the south Oregon coastal area. It turned out that chromite makes up the majority of the minerals in these sandy deposits, but not just any chromite. The chromite found here has important qualities that are unique in the U.S. and perhaps the world.

Chromite Ore from South Africa

Currently, South Africa is the world’s leading supplier and exporter of chromite, with small amounts also coming from Kazakhstan. But the South African chromite is angular and needs to be crushed in preparation for its use in foundries.



Our Oregon chromite is a high quality grade that has been washed and shaped by nature. It comes out of the deposits already rounded, cleaner and of a narrow particle size. The shape is considered much better for making molds because it has less pore space and therefore needs less binder. This makes it cost effective, but it also reduces casting defects and ultimately makes the inside of molds smoother so you get a better finish on the casting. It’s the kind of chromite foundries prefer but until now it has been unavailable. Because of its characteristics we are calling it SpheriChrome™

As a historical reference, chromite sand was first used in the foundry industry for making molds for molten metal, mostly iron, in the 1960s. Currently there are about 3,100 foundries active in the U.S. and the majority of the iron they make is used in the automobile industry.

Because of the shortage of local chromite, however, foundries switched to zircon sands, a much more expensive mineral (which is also found in the black sands of Oregon). While zircon works, chromite is the preferred product because it allows the heat to transfer out of the molds more effectively. And, again, the roundness of the Oregon chromite is more effective than the angular South African material.

When finally up and running at full capacity, we estimate that we can produce about 70,000 tons of this unique Oregon chromite a year.