Abstract: Material containing iron in combination with chromium, such as chromite ore or sand, may be upgraded by removing at least some iron by a fluidized bed process in which iron is chlorinated to ferrous chloride in the presence of carbon and the ferrous chloride vapor removed. Selectivity of the process in reducing or avoiding the chlorination of the chromiUm content of the ore and in reducing or avoiding the formation of ferric chloride, with resulting increased chlorine usage efficiency, may be achieved by control of process parameters such as bed depth, chlorine concentration, and temperature. The invention may be used to produce a suitable raw material for the production of ferrochrome, which generally requires a chromium to iron ratio of at least 3:1, from an initial material in which the said ratio is below 2:1, either by upgrading the bulk of the material to the desired level or a portion to above the required level and blending the product with untreated material.