Market evaluation of the chromite and garnet has confirmed that strong demand exists for these products. Chromite is benefiting from the tightening of supply from the three main producers coupled with the firm demand for stainless steel.
ORC presently has three primary minerals that are marketable products; chromite, garnet and zircon.
Chromite
The 
In all steel casting, a variety of minerals and sands are used to coat the molds, which affect the cooling process and finish of the steel. Chromite has superior thermal qualities slowing the cooling process which reduces cracks in the mold, giving the finished product more strength and a smoother finish.
Garnet is an excellent emerging product as an environmentally favorable, silica-free, air abrasion medium. The main market for the Company's garnet will be the U.S. West Coast water jet market.
Water jet machines use very small volumes of water mixed with an abrasive (garnet, in most applications) and use specialized pumps that can generate pressure up to 50,000 pounds per square inch. It produces a laser like stream of high pressure material that can cut through steel, aluminum, etc. The use of garnet in precision water jet cutting is increasing and the domestic
Zircon is used in refractory bricks and as foundry sand due to its superior heat resistant characteristics (high melting point). It is typically used in specialized applications such as glass making; aluminum engine block casting and investment casting, e.g. golf club heads. Zircon is also suited for ceramic tile glazing. Its use as a molding sand for high-grade castings in the auto and aircraft industries continues to expand and the