VANADIUM

What Is Vanadium?

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• Vanadium is a steel-grey, shimmering and ductile metallic element.​

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• Vanadium is identified on the table of elements with the chemical symbol V.

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• It occurs in many minerals and is normally obtained as a by-product from the production of steel.

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• Vanadium resists corrosion due to a protective film of oxide on the surface.

 

Key applications of Vanadium 

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• 80-90% of produced vanadium is used in the production of metal, especially steel, alloys. Steel alloys containing vanadium are used in a variety of purposes such as buildings, bridges, oil and gas pipelines, and ships. It is used in steel due its strength, toughness, heat and wear resistance. Besides significantly strengthening steel alloys, vanadium also decreases corrosion and oxidation processes.

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• Energy storage is the second-largest consumer of vanadium due its use in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs) – a proven and rapidly growing largescale energy storage technology that can store large amounts of energy produced from renewable sources to provide on-demand, round-the-clock, carbon-free power.

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• Vanadium is used in the aerospace sector where it is found in different aircraft components, including landing gear, and airframe and engine parts. 

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• Vanadium is used in automotives in HSLA and AHSS for body structure as well as in microalloyed forging steels for engine and chassis. 

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• Vanadium plays a key role in providing high strength and cost-effective solutions in the construction sector. 

 

Where is Vanadium Produced?​​

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• The main reported producers of vanadium in the shape of vanadium oxides are China, South Africa, and Russia.d Brazil (5%).

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More information on Vanadium

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• There is no extraction of Vanadium in the EU. 

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• The EU is fully reliant (100%) on its imports of vanadium ores and concentrates. 

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• Demand for vanadium in the EU is projected to increase in all sectors, driven by innovation in the manufacturing of battery products.

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• Two kinds of secondary vanadium scrap can be discerned: steel scrap and spent chemical process catalysts.

 

Applications