Vanadium

Primary Applications

High-strength steel alloys, tool steels, titanium alloys, vanadium redox-flow batteries

Mining Significance

Vanadium is frequently recovered from vanadiferous magnetite and titanomagnetite ores, where vanadium substitutes into the magnetite crystal lattice, and it can also be recovered from certain secondary resources and industrial residues. In VTM operations, magnetic concentration commonly upgrades the vanadium-bearing magnetite before downstream roasting, leaching, or smelting. Vanadium value therefore depends strongly on mineral chemistry, concentration behavior, and integration with iron and titanium recovery.

Industries

None listed

Vanadium

50.94

Key Properties

Transition metal used primarily as an alloying element.
Small additions significantly increase steel strength, toughness, and wear resistance.
Exhibits multiple oxidation states, enabling redox-flow battery chemistry.
Commonly occurs by substitution within iron-bearing oxide minerals rather than as a separate abundant mineral.
Forms stable carbides and nitrides useful in high-strength steels.

Mining Targets

This element is often found in the following Deposit Types and Mineral targets.

Deposit Type: Vanadiferous Titanomagnetite (VTM) - Magmatic magnetite-rich deposits in which vanadium is commonly hosted within the magnetite crystal lattice.

Mineral: Magnetite - Fe₃O₄ - Vanadium commonly substitutes for iron within magnetite; the ideal magnetite formula remains Fe3O4 even when the magnetite is vanadium-bearing.