Method and system for producing low carbon ferrochrome from chromite ore and low carbon ferrochrome produced thereby

A method for recovering low carbon ferrochrome from chromite ore comprising:

• feeding a mixture of feed materials comprising scrap aluminum granules, burnt lime, silica sand, and chromite ore into a plasma arc furnace, said scrap aluminum granules being produced from used beverage containers, said chromite ore containing chromium oxide and iron oxide, said feed materials being in a stoichiometric proportion for reduction of said chromium oxide and iron oxide to form low carbon ferrochrome;
• heating said feed materials in said plasma arc furnace to a temperature in the range of approximately 1,650° C. to 1850° C. wherein said aluminum in said aluminum granules acts as a reducing agent to produce an exothermic reaction reducing said chromium oxide and iron oxide in said chromite ore to produce molten low carbon ferrochrome with molten slag floating on top of said molten low carbon ferrochrome;
• and
• extracting said molten low carbon ferrochrome from said plasma arc furnace.