Advantages of Vanadium
Vanadium plays an essential role in the manufacturing and renewable energy industries, and the advantages of vanadium are responsible for the widespread adoption of renewable energy and many booming businesses. Vanadium is a metallic element characterized by its medium hardness and distinctive steel-blue color. Vanadium’s main ores are FeV80, FeV60, FeV50, and FeV40.
Pure vanadium metal is generally obtained by reducing vanadium pentoxide with potassium under high pressure. It then undergoes heating with magnesium in an argon setting. Vanadium rarely occurs in its pure form; hence most vanadium is a by-product of processing other minerals such as carnotite, magnetite, and patronite. It also exists in crude oil and phosphate rock.
In rare cases where extremely pure vanadium metal is needed, methods used to produce titanium can be applied. In its purest form, Vanadium metal looks like steel gray metal and has the same corrosion resistance and hardness as titanium. This metal is ductile and is a transition metal. Other properties include corrosion resistance and stability when exposed to alkalis, salty water, and acids.
In industry, vanadium pentoxide can also be reduced by aluminum and coke to produce pure vanadium. Vanadium alloys like vanadium-titanium offer the highest strength-to-weight ratio compared to other industrial materials. Vanadium titanium is popular in the aerospace industry in making aircraft & rocket engines, missiles, cabin frameworks, and turbine blades. Adding a few percent ( 0.01% and 0.10%)of vanadium in steel can greatly increase the elasticity and strength of steel and have excellent wear resistance and crack resistance.
Approximately 98% of the world’s vanadium ore is mined in China, Russia, and South Africa, and it is not surprising that vanadium can be found everywhere in automobile, aviation, railway, electronics, national defense industry, and other sectors.
Application of Vanadium
Vanadium is a popular manufacturing material in the automobile industry as it helps produce lightweight, efficient parts.
In addition, vanadium oxide has become one of the best catalysts in the chemical industry, known as “chemical bread.” Vanadium is mainly applied commercially for its beneficial properties in steel and cast iron.
It enhances their ductility and shock resistance. As a result, most vanadium produced is combined with iron to create ferrovanadium, which contains approximately 85 percent of vanadium. This ferrovanadium is then used to produce vanadium steels.
It is mainly used for manufacturing high-speed cutting steel and other alloy steels and catalysts. Vanadium steel can be made by adding vanadium into steel. Vanadium steel is more compact than ordinary steel structure, with higher toughness, elasticity, and mechanical strength.
Thanks to their beneficial properties like durability, vanadium steel alloys are widely used to make tools, girders, piston rods, and axles in the building and transportation industries. Another application of vanadium is a battery technology power booster. Using vanadium in automobile batteries is known to improve energy storage capacity, recharging time, and motor power/torque.
The rate of vanadium deposits in the environment is steadily increasing due to the global increase in discharges of industrial byproducts, such as steel slags and ash waste, which contain vanadium. Vanadium has many medical applications, including the treatment of heart diseases, diabetes, and excessive cholesterol.
Implantable cardioverter device batteries use vanadium in their cathodes as well. Additionally, the low neutron-absorbing qualities of vanadium alloys make them helpful in making nuclear reactors.
One of the main advantages of vanadium alloys is that they help produce high-quality and durable products. For instance, Vanadium flow batteries have a long lifespan of 25 years or more and continue to function at full capacity until they die. Another advantage is that vanadium alloys allow for the production of low-maintenance products like steel tools and automotive parts while their long life span ensures you save on cost.
In a nutshell, the different vanadium products are versatile and can be used in a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions. Vanadium is expected to play a crucial role in innovations in the foreseeable future. If you own a business that requires vanadium, we are here to help.
We guarantee you will receive a reliable metal product thanks to our extensive experience in the metals field. We will also provide expert advice regarding the vanadium alloy your business requires. Contact us today!
