Chromium is introduced into irons, steels and many superalloys by alloying with the intermediate product, ferrochromium. This is produced by the pyrometallurgical reduction of chromite ore with carbon and/or silicon in high temperature electric arc furnaces.

Ferrochromium is essentially an alloy of iron and chromium which may intentionally contain substantial levels of carbon and silicon.

A 35-minute video presentation: "The Magic of Nickel" (also known as "The Effective use of Nickel in Stainless Steels") by Dr. David Jenkinson can now be viewed on our public website. This is the first online video produced by the Nickel Institute.

Molybdenum is a metallic element which is most frequently used as an alloying addition in alloy and stainless steels. Its alloying versatility is unmatched because its addition enhances strength, hardenability, weldability, toughness, elevated temperature strength and corrosion resistance.

Manganese is a little-known element other than to a small circle of technical specialists who are predominantly metallurgists and chemists. Yet it is the fourth most used metal in terms of tonnage, being ranked behind iron, aluminum and copper, with in the order of 46 million tons of ore being mined annually (2008).

24-page brochure describing the history, extraction and uses of Molybdenum. Published by the International Molybdenum Association.

This Euro Inox Brochure summarises the characteristics of the principal alloying elements used in stainless steels and discusses their role as alloying elements. It covers Chromium, Nickel, Molybdenum, Niobium, Titanium, Manganese, Silicon and Nitrogen.

Nickel is a lustrous, white, hard, ferromagnetic metal, which is easily shaped into a variety of product forms. It is most frequently used as a constituent of a various alloys, of which stainless steels are the most common.

It combines cartoons originally published in June 2003 with eleven new ones published in November 2005. These natural nickel facts have proven to be a highly successful way of communicating simple messages about nickel to a wide audience

This article by the Minerals Information Institute summarises the sources, history and uses of manganese.

This article by the Minerals Information Institute summarises the sources, history and uses of molybdenum.

This article by the Minerals Information Institute summarises the sources, history and uses of chromium.

This article by the Minerals Information Institute summarises the sources, history and uses of nickel.