Applications of Vanadium

Vanadium is mostly mixed into alloys. It is used in titanium and aluminium alloys to make jet engines, rockets, and nuclear reactor parts. Due to its high melting point it can be used in drill bits and nuclear reactors 

When added to a steel alloy, vanadium strengthens the steel and makes it more resilient. 90% of vanadium mined is used in steel alloys.

Vanadium is also used as a catalyst for sulfric acid.

Vanadium has four oxidation stages.

Due to the ease at which Vanadium gains and looses electrons, it can be used as a redox battery.

A Vanadium battery would last decades, and would have the capacity to recharge at least 20 thousand times.

Finding Vanadium

Vanadium is never found on its own in nature. It is always mined along with other metals.

Vanadium is found in 65 different minerals, as well as carbon containing deposits.

The largest resources of Vanadium are in China, South Africa and Russia.

Some naturally occuring enzymes contain Vanadium, especially vanadium nutrogenase which is found in microorganisms.

Vanadium is an essential micronutrient for animals, but toxic in large dosages