Chromium iron alloys and silicon-chromium alloys, widely used in the steel industry, are produced through electric furnace smelting. Metal chromium production employs the metal thermal reduction (thermite) method and the electrolytic process.
Metallic chromium is used as an additive for aluminum alloys, cobalt alloys, titanium alloys, high-temperature alloys, and resistive heating alloys, etc.

Chromium is a silvery, lustrous metal; pure chromium is malleable, while chromium containing impurities is hard and brittle.

Chromic sulfate and chromates are used as tanning agents for leather, mordants and dyebath agents for fabric dyeing, as well as various pigments.