HA International announced that as of April 1, 2011, it will be the exclusive North American distributor of SpheriChrome — the only chromite foundry sand mined and processed in the United States.
SpheriChrome is mined and processed by Oregon Resources Corporation at its Coos Bay, OR site, which processes anywhere from 500,000 to 1,200,000 tpa annually, including three primary minerals: chromite, garnet, and zircon.
Targeted for large ferrous applications, SpheriChromite differentiates from conventional sub angular chromite in its round shape and finer grain size. Advantages in using it include high bonded sand strength to reduce binder costs and excellent cast finishes to reduce cleaning costs. It is also an effective substitute to zircon.
HA International and Oregon Resources entered into a memorandum of understanding back in June of 2009, establishing a long-term relationship encompassing collaboration on blended product formulation, trademarks and intellectual property co-ownership, and exclusive marketing and distribution of Oregon Resources' chromite mineral sand.