Chromium occurs as chromite. Chromite is a mixture of iron(II) oxide and chromium(III) oxide. Its chemical formula is FeCrO. It is heated with sodium carbonate to make sodium chromate, iron(III) oxide, and carbon dioxide. The sodium chromate is reacted with sulfuric acid to produce sodium dichromate. The sodium dichromate is reduced by carbon to chromium(III) oxide. The chromium(III) oxide is reacted with aluminum to make chromium metal. The chromates and dichromates are what make chromium production areas toxic.