Intersting points

[0028] In the laboratory studies, chromite used for the development work was sourced from the Black Horse deposit located within the Ring of Fire region of Northern Ontario Canada. As received chromite concentrate chemistry is shown Table 1 , and the ore chemistry in elemental form is shown in Table 2.

17. A chromium iron alloy manufactured in accordance to the process of claim 1.

[0007] There are no commercially viable deposits of chromite ore in the USA and all ferro chrome used in the production of steel is imported, typically from South Africa and Kazakhstan. Recent discoveries of very large deposits of such ores have been made in Canada in a geographic area known as the "Ring of Fire" (ROF). [0008] The development of huge deposits of natural shale gas in the USA and Canada has led to a decrease in the long term cost of natural gas and the prospect of stable pricing for many years to come. The present invention exploits the availability of the Ring of Fire chromite and low cost natural gas.

[0024] Extensive laboratory work has been completed which demonstrates the validity of the present invention. Samples of chromite ore concentrates from a deposit within the ROF have been successfully reduced in accordance with the teachings of the present invention to a highly metallised chromium iron alloy suitable for steel making. The temperature required for the re