How Is Vanadium Used?
About Vanadium Vanadium, a silver-gray metallic element that is twenty-third on the periodic table, exists in about 65 minerals on earth and is the twenty-second most abundant element on the planet, with about 63 million tons of the element estimated to exist on earth. While highly toxic, the element plays a vital role in construction and steel-working as well as the production of chemical products like sulfuric acid. It also has a number of smaller uses. Vanadium for commercial use is produced in Canada, China, the Czech Republic, South Africa and the United States, among other nations. Alloys Vanadium’s primary use is as an alloy for tools and construction, with about 80 percent of the element produced used either for ferrovanadium, an iron alloy, or as a steel additive. Ferrovanadium is strong enough to be used as armored covering for military vehicles and parts of car engines, including piston rods, gears, axles and crank shafts. Steel with vanadium is strong enough to support the
