What Is LC Ferro Chrome, and Why Is Carbon the Grade?
Chromium is the element that makes stainless steel stainless, and most of it enters the melt as ferro chrome. High-carbon or charge chrome is the cheap, bulk form, made by smelting chromite with coke. It carries several per cent carbon, which a modern stainless shop burns off in the converter. Once the heat has been decarburised, though, any further chromium has to come in without carbon, and that is the job of low-carbon ferro chrome. It is made by reducing chrome ore with silicon rather than carbon, usually by reacting a chrome-and-lime slag with a silicon-bearing alloy, which is why it costs more to produce and why buyers treat it as a separate product.
Commercial specifications are set mainly by the carbon ceiling. Indian Standard IS 1170 and ASTM A101 both cover ferrochromium, and LC material is commonly offered in classes such as 0.03%, 0.05% and 0.10% carbon maximum, with silicon around 1.5% maximum and phosphorus and sulfur held to a few hundredths of a per cent. Chromium usually falls between 60 and 70%. A lot that misses its carbon class by a small margin is not ruined; it simply belongs in the next class up and is sold as such.
That is the heart of the LC ferro chrome scrap trade. Very little of it is "used" metal. It is crushing fines and screen undersize, surplus left when a plant changes its product mix, lots that failed a buyer's carbon or size specification, and opened bags left after a campaign. Each keeps its chemistry and can be described exactly once it is analysed. Fines that a melt shop rejects for charging can suit a welding consumable maker who mills them to powder anyway, so matching the lot to the right user matters as much as the analysis.
See the wider ferro alloy scrap range, and the nitrogen-bearing variant on our nitrided ferro chrome page.
Typical Composition
| Element or property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Chromium (Cr) | 60–70% |
| Carbon (C) | 0.03–0.10% max, by grade |
| Silicon (Si) | 1.5% max (typical) |
| Phosphorus (P) | 0.03% max (typical) |
| Sulfur (S) | 0.03% max (typical) |
| Iron (Fe) | Balance |
Typical values for commonly traded material. The certificate or analysis of each lot governs.
Forms LC Ferro Chrome Scrap Comes In
- Lumps
- Crushed and screened sizes
- Fines and undersize
- Off-grade lots
- Part-used bags and drums
Where LC Ferro Chrome Is Used
- Low-carbon stainless steel making
- Alloy steels where carbon must stay low
- Welding electrode coatings and fluxes
- Chromium trim additions at the refining stage
What Buyers Check in a Lot
Carbon Class
Carbon is the property that separates LC from medium- and high-carbon ferro chrome, so it is the first figure a buyer looks for.
Chromium Content
Chromium is the paying element, and the lot is described by its measured chromium percentage.
Silicon, Phosphorus and Sulfur
These are limited in steelmaking specifications, so values above the usual maximums narrow the possible uses.
Size and Fines
The proportion of fines affects how the material can be charged, so lots are described by size range and fines share.
Moisture and Contamination
Fines stored in the open can pick up moisture, dirt or other alloys, which has to be stated before sale.
Sampling and Analysis
Carbon needs combustion analysis in a laboratory; handheld XRF can confirm chromium but cannot measure carbon.
How to Recognise LC Ferro Chrome
LC ferro chrome looks like every other ferro chrome: silver-grey, brittle, with a bright crystalline fracture. Identification is a matter of analysis and paperwork, not appearance.
| Check | What it shows for LC ferro chrome |
|---|---|
| Carbon by combustion | A laboratory combustion analyser gives the carbon figure that places the lot in its class. Nothing else separates LC from medium or high carbon material reliably. |
| Chromium by XRF or wet analysis | Confirms the chromium percentage that the lot is paid on and shows whether it is ferro chrome at all. |
| Silicon | LC is made by silicon reduction, so silicon is always present; readings well above about 1.5% narrow its use. |
| Nitrogen | Plain LC ferro chrome carries very little nitrogen. A high reading means nitrided material has been mixed in. |
| Sieve analysis | Shows the size band and the share of fines, usually reported as the percentage passing a few millimetres. |
| Bag marks and producer certificate | Heat or lot numbers on bags that match a certificate let a buyer accept the stated class with fewer retests. |
Grades Most Often Confused with LC Ferro Chrome
- High-carbon (charge) ferro chrome: looks identical but carries several per cent carbon, typically around 6 to 8%, and is a much cheaper product.
- Nitrided ferro chrome: has similar chromium and carbon but several per cent nitrogen, which only a nitrogen analysis shows.
- Medium-carbon ferro chrome: sits between the two, with carbon from about 0.5% up to 4%, and is often confused with LC once bags are repacked.
LC and HC Look Alike
Low-carbon and high-carbon ferro chrome are both grey, hard and brittle with a crystalline fracture, so only a carbon analysis separates them reliably.
Not Chromium Metal
Chromium metal carries well above 98% chromium with very little iron, while ferro chrome carries a substantial iron balance; XRF shows the difference.
Not Stainless Steel Scrap
Stainless steel is a ductile wrought or cast metal, whereas ferro chrome breaks into angular lumps and does not bend.
Where LC Ferro Chrome Scrap Comes From
Off-grade LC ferro chrome appears wherever the alloy is crushed, stored or charged. These are the usual origins of lots offered in India and the Gulf.
Crushing and Screening
Producers and processors size lumps into bands such as 10 to 50 mm or 10 to 100 mm. Everything below the bottom screen becomes undersize, sold as fines.
Stainless and Alloy Steel Plants
Surplus bags remain when a grade is dropped or a campaign ends. Material that sat in a yard for years is often sold off in one lot.
Foundries
Steel and alloy foundries buy LC ferro chrome in small quantities for trim additions; part-used drums and bags collect over time.
Welding Consumable Makers
Electrode and flux-cored wire makers mill LC ferro chrome into powder; rejected or excess powder and sieving residues come back to the market.
Rejected Shipments
Lots refused for a carbon reading above the contracted class, excess fines or wrong sizing are resold under a corrected description.
LC Ferro Chrome Scrap Buyer, Importer and Exporter in India
Mipra Steel deals in LC ferro chrome lots from Khetwadi, Mumbai, buying off-grade, fines and surplus material from plants and traders and supplying described lots to melt shops, foundries and consumable makers.
Sell LC Ferro Chrome Scrap
Holding surplus or rejected LC ferro chrome? Send the quantity, the size band, how it is packed (jumbo bags, small bags or drums), the location and photographs of the material and any bag markings. The carbon class and chromium figure from the producer certificate, or a recent laboratory report, make the biggest difference to how quickly a lot can be described. We review incoming enquiries and respond with relevant next steps.
Buy LC Ferro Chrome Scrap
Need LC ferro chrome for trim additions, low-carbon grades or electrode coatings? Tell us the carbon class, minimum chromium, the size band or powder fineness, the quantity and the delivery point. Off-grade and fines lots can be a practical fit when your process does not need lump material, and each lot is described from its analysis.
Preparing LC Ferro Chrome Scrap for Sale
- Keep LC ferro chrome apart from high-carbon, medium-carbon and nitrided ferro chrome, even when bags look the same.
- Screen out fines and bag them separately from lump material.
- Store under cover; fines take up water quickly.
- Draw a representative sample across the lot for carbon and chromium analysis.
- Keep producer certificates and photograph every bag label.
LC Ferro Chrome Scrap Price per Kg: What Decides It
An offer for LC ferro chrome is built on contained chromium and then adjusted for the carbon class and everything that limits who can use the lot.
- Chromium content: the paying element, so a lot at 68% chromium is worth more per tonne than one at 61%.
- Carbon class: the lower the proven carbon, the more steelmakers can use it; a 0.03% class lot carries a premium over 0.10%.
- Phosphorus and sulfur: values above the usual limits rule out some stainless and alloy grades.
- Silicon and nitrogen: excess silicon or unexpected nitrogen reduces the number of melt shops willing to take the material.
- Size and fines share: a clean lump band charges well; fines suit fewer users and are discounted unless a powder buyer wants them.
- Moisture and contamination: fines stored in open yards can carry water, sand and other alloys, which must be stated.
- Documentation: a matching producer certificate saves the buyer a full retest.
Chromium trades daily and ferro chrome contracts are often quoted per unit of contained chromium, so any LC ferro chrome price is dated. Our ferro alloy scrap value guide covers the method.
LC Ferro Chrome Scrap Import and Export
Importing LC Ferro Chrome Scrap into India
India produces ferro chrome from Odisha chromite, but mostly high-carbon grades, so low-carbon material and off-grade lots are also brought in from the Gulf, Europe and East Asia. Imported ferro alloys travel with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and the producer or independent analysis certificate; scrap and remnant lots additionally follow the pre-shipment inspection practice for imported metal scrap. Stating the carbon class on the invoice, not just "ferro chrome", keeps the customs entry and the buyer's description aligned at Nhava Sheva or Mundra. See importing alloy scrap into India.
Exporting LC Ferro Chrome Scrap from India
Indian surplus and off-grade LC ferro chrome is exported to stainless and alloy steelmakers and consumable producers abroad. Lots are described on the invoice and packing list by chromium content, carbon class and size, packed in jumbo bags or drums, and shipped in containers. Our offices in Dubai and South Korea cover buyers in the Gulf and East Asia, and we ship to Japan and Europe. See export documents.
Customs heading: 7202.49. The HS code is the international tariff heading the scrap is declared under; national tariff lines add further digits, so confirm the full line with your customs broker.
Related Reading
LC Ferro Chrome Scrap FAQ
What is the difference between LC and HC ferro chrome?
Carbon. LC ferro chrome is refined to about 0.10% carbon or less, while HC or charge chrome carries several per cent. HC is used early in stainless making, where carbon is later removed; LC is added after decarburisation or to low-carbon grades. They look alike and are told apart only by carbon analysis.
Which carbon classes of LC ferro chrome are traded?
Lots are commonly offered at 0.03%, 0.05% and 0.10% carbon maximum, with some even lower classes. Indian Standard IS 1170 sets out further classes up to 0.50% carbon. A lot is sold in the class its laboratory carbon result supports, not the one printed on old bags.
Are LC ferro chrome fines worth buying?
They can be. Fines are awkward to charge into a furnace and are discounted for that, but welding electrode and flux makers grind ferro chrome to powder anyway, so clean, dry fines with a good carbon figure suit them well.
Can a handheld XRF tell me if my ferro chrome is low carbon?
No. XRF confirms chromium and iron but cannot measure carbon. You need a combustion analysis in a laboratory to establish the carbon class. See XRF vs OES vs lab.
Under which HS code is LC ferro chrome shipped?
Ferrochromium with not more than 4% carbon is classified under HS 7202.49, which covers LC ferro chrome and off-grade lots of it. HC ferro chrome sits under 7202.41. Each country adds its own digits, so your broker should confirm the national line.
Does Mipra Steel buy old or opened bags of LC ferro chrome?
Yes, part-used and long-stored lots can be offered. Tell us how many bags, roughly how full they are, how long they have been stored and whether they were kept under cover, and send any original certificate and photographs.
Published by Mipra Steel, Khetwadi, Mumbai · Updated