Industrial Minerals has made the first shipment of SpheriChrome, a high-quality chromite, from its Coos Bay facility. Oregon Resources (ORC), a wholly owned subsidiary of IMC, has carried out chromite extraction and the processing works.
The first 1,000 t of chromite has been delivered to customers in Europe and North America and this represents a significant milestone for Industrial Minerals.
Chromite is mainly sourced from South African mines and is utilized in iron and steel foundries globally. SpheriChrome is a unique product as it possesses natural features like cleanness, narrow particle sizes and roundness. Philip Garratt who is the chief executive officer of Industrial Minerals said that the high-quality chromite is an alternative to zircon for the specialty casting market and foundry. SpheriChrome’s major clients include Possehl-Erzkontor and HA International.
The shipments provide initial revenue and it enables numerous foundries to experience the valuable benefits of the SpheriChrome product such as decrease of chemical binders and gas emissions associated with producing quality finishes in castings, which are similar or better than the zircon performance said Garret.
The Coos Bay sand project is estimated to have an annual production capacity of 95,000 t of chromite and it will also produce smaller quantities of zircon, garnet and hi-iron ilmenite. SpheriChrome enables foundries to produce a superior casting finish compared to other chromite sand.
Source: http://www.imcl.com.au/