Cr
Chromium · Chrome
Chromium is a stable, metallic chemical element widely used to improve the strength and corrosion resistance of alloys and protective coatings.
About Chromium
Chromium is a fundamental metallic element that exists in a highly stable state, making it a cornerstone of modern metallurgy. Its metallic electronic character allows it to form robust bonds, which is essential for its role in creating durable, high-performance materials.
Due to its inherent stability, chromium is extensively utilized to enhance the properties of other metals. It is most recognized for its ability to provide exceptional resistance to oxidation and corrosion, serving as a critical component in the production of stainless steel and various industrial plating applications.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Chromium, aggregated across 5 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Cr. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Cr, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Im-3m (No. 229) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -15.073 | 6.60 |
| P42/mnm (No. 136) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.2636 | -14.810 | 7.17 |
| Cmcm (No. 63) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.3359 | -14.737 | 7.51 |
| Pm-3n (No. 223) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.3575 | -14.716 | 7.52 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.4025 | -14.671 | 7.51 |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.4203 | -14.653 | 7.45 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P4/mmm (No. 123) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cmcm (No. 63) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Im-3m (No. 229) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | — | — | — | — | — |
Applications
Where Chromium is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chromium, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Cr?
Chromium is a stable, metallic chemical element widely used to improve the strength and corrosion resistance of alloys and protective coatings.
What is Cr used for?
What is the band gap of Cr?
Is Cr a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Cr thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Cr?
What is the density of Cr?
How many polymorphs of Cr are known?
What elements does Cr contain?
Where does the data for Cr come from?
How It Compares
As a pure elemental metal, chromium serves as the foundational building block for a vast array of alloys. It occupies a unique position in materials science due to its ability to passivate surfaces, a property that defines its utility compared to other transition metals that lack this natural protective mechanism.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database. Cite: Grazulis et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 40, D420 (2012).
- mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
- nomad — Data from NOMAD. Cite: Draxl & Scheffler, J. Phys. Mater. 2, 036001 (2019).
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