Chromium, an EPA listed toxic element concentrated in many industrial wastes, was stabilized using waste vitrification. Cr2O3 and CrO3 were loaded into a simulated basaltic base composition, vitrified, and cooled at various rates. Chromium incorporation mechanisms, vitrification processability, effect of initial Cr oxidation state, and product performance were investigated. At 1500degreesC, Cr2O3 has a low solubility limit (0.54 wt%) in the base composition, and crystallized as Cr-rich primary spinet (Mg,Fe)(Fe,Al,Cr)(2)O-4. On cooling, Cr-depleted secondary spinel and augite (Na,Ca)(Mg,Fe2+,Al)(Si,Al)(2)O-6 crystallized. Cr(VI) was converted into Cr(III) on vitrification. The apparent viscosity of the melts was estimated using the Bottinga-Weill model as corrected by Roscoe's equation. The end products showed Cr2O3 loading capacities as high as 16.7 wt% without exceeding the toxicity-leaching limit defined by EPA. The annealed products had Vickers's hardness of about 800 kg-F/mm(2) and can be classified as medium-grade abrasives.