Chromium Single Crystal - Material Information

Chromium single crystals represent one of the purest and most structurally refined forms of metallic chromium. Discovered in 1780 by N.L. Vanquelin, chromium’s unique combination of chemical stability, hardness, and metallic brilliance has made it indispensable in corrosion-resistant coatings and high-performance alloys. The single-crystal form eliminates grain boundaries, enhancing its electrical, mechanical, and thermal uniformity—key properties for advanced research and technology applications.

Material Overview

Chromium (atomic number 24) crystallizes in a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure, with lattice parameter a ≈ 2.88 Å. It exhibits exceptional hardness (8.5 on the Mohs scale) and a high melting point (1907 °C). The single-crystal form minimizes microstructural defects, providing stable mechanical and thermal behavior. Research by Briant et al. (2000) demonstrated that ultra-high-purity chromium crystals exhibit ductility at room temperature when interstitial impurities such as carbon are minimized. Similarly, Holzwarth and Stamm (2002) reported that chromium-based alloys maintain mechanical integrity up to 1000 °C, making them suitable for high-heat-load environments. Chromium’s electrical resistivity at 20 °C is approximately 12.9 μΩ·cm, while its thermal conductivity averages 93.9 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, confirming its balance of strength and conductive performance.

Applications and Advantages

Due to its excellent chemical inertness and mechanical resilience, chromium single crystals are widely used in thin-film deposition, surface coating calibration, and materials research involving epitaxial growth. Their anisotropic thermal and electrical properties enable precise modeling of electron transport, as evidenced by studies on Cr–Si and Cr–Se single crystals (Desai et al., 2014; Prinsloo et al., 2010). Chromium is also crucial in producing stainless steels and superalloys, where it provides oxidation resistance and structural stability under stress. In addition, single-crystal chromium is a preferred substrate material for studying spin-density-wave phenomena and thermoelectric behavior.

Goodfellow Availability

Goodfellow supplies Chromium (Cr) Single Crystal in research-grade purity and a range of customizable dimensions. Each product is precision-processed for high structural uniformity and purity to support experimental reproducibility and surface integrity. Tailored solutions are available upon request to meet specific research and development needs.

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References

• Briant, C. L., Kumar, K. S., Rosenberg, N., & Tomioka, H. (2000). The mechanical properties of high purity chromium. International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials, 18(1), 11–17.
• Holzwarth, U., & Stamm, H. (2002). Mechanical and thermomechanical properties of commercially pure chromium and chromium alloys. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 296(1–3), 57–66.
• Prinsloo, A. R. E., Alberts, H. L., & Strydom, A. M. (2010). Electrical and thermal transport properties of Cr–Si alloy single crystals. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 200, 022048.
• Desai, P. F., Patel, D. D., & Jani, A. R. (2014). Electrical transport properties of semiconducting chromium molybdenum diselenide single crystals. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 26, 418–424.
• Nishida, I. (1972). The crystal growth and thermoelectric properties of chromium disilicide. Journal of Materials Science, 7(10), 1200–1207.