What is Vanadium

Vanadium (pronunciation: veh-NAY-dee-em) is a medium-hard, silvery element belonging to the family of transition metals represented by the chemical symbol V ^{[1, 2]}. Because of its malleability, ductility, and corrosion-resistant properties, vanadium is increasingly used in the manufacturing industry ^[2].

Its Isotopes

It has two naturally occurring isotopes, out of which ⁵¹V is stable while ⁵⁰V is radioactive with a half-life period of about 1.4 X 10¹⁷ years ^[1]. There are 24 artificial radioisotopes with mass numbers ranging from 40 to 65, ⁴⁹V and ⁴⁸V being the two most stable of them with half-life periods of 330 days and 15.9735 days respectively ^[3].

Where is Vanadium Found

Although it is rarely found free in nature, vanadium can be extracted from 65 different mineral ores, including patronite, carnotite, and vanadinite ^[1]. It is also obtained as organic complexes from some crude oils, iron ores, and phosphate rocks ^{[1, 2]}. Vanadium is generally extracted by heating crushed mineral ores along with chlorine and carbon, producing vanadium (III) chloride, which is then reduced with magnesium in a pressure vessel ^[2].

The top 3 vanadium reserve holding countries are China, Russia, and South Africa while the top 3 producers include South Africa, China, and Russia ^[1].

History

Origin of its Name: It is named after ‘Vanadis’, the other name for the Norse goddess Freyja associated with beauty, love, fertility, gold, war, and death ^[1].

Who discovered it: The Spanish-Mexican chemist Andrés Manuel del Rio is known for the discovery of vanadium ^[1].

When and How was it Discovered

In 1801, the element was first identified in a sample of Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl or vanadite, by Professor Manuel Del Rio in Mexico City ^[1]. He sent the specimen to Paris where the French chemist Victor Collet-Descotils examined it and announced that it was actually chromium ^{[1, 4]}.

In 1831, vanadium was found by the Swedish chemist Gabriel Selfström at the Swedish capital Stockholm ^[1]. He separated the element from a specimen of cast iron produced from a mineral ore mined at Småland ^[1]. He also examined another vanadium mineral, obtained from the Mexican town of Zimapan ^[1].

In 1869, Sir Henry Roscoe produced pure vanadium at Manchester, England and revealed that the previous samples were actually vanadium nitride (VN) ^[1].

Vanadium Identification
Atomic number	23 [1]
CAS number	7440-62-2 [1]
Position in the periodic table	Group	Period	Block
	5 [1]	4 [1]	d [1]

Properties and Characteristics of Vanadium

Atomic Data of Vanadium (Element 23)

What is It Used for

• About 80 percent of the vanadium manufactured is used for making ferrovanadium, a steel additive ^{[1, 10]}. Since vanadium-steel alloys are immensely hard and strong, they are used for producing axles, tools, armor plate, crankshafts, and piston rods ^[1].
• Adding small amounts of vanadium and chromium (chrome-vanadium), makes steel heat, vibration, and shock resistant ^{[1, 4]}.
• Because of vanadium’s low parasitic neutron-absorption cross-section, its alloys are used for making the inner structure of nuclear reactors ^[1].
• An alloy containing vanadium, titanium, and aluminum is used in high-speed aircraft and jet engines ^[4].
• Vanadium-gallium (V₃Ga) superconducting alloys are used for the insert coils of electromagnets while the V₃Ga tapes are used in magnets with a field strength of 17.5 teslas ^{[1, 4]}.
• Vanadium (V) oxide (also called vanadium pentoxide) is used as ceramics and glass coloring pigment, as well as a catalyst for making sulfuric acid ^{[1, 4]}.

Biological Role in Humans

Aside from some other species, humans need vanadium in trace amounts (0.01 mg) for healthy bone growth and other biological needs ^{[1, 2]}. It is obtained from food sources including parsley, mushroom, black pepper, shellfish, dill weed, grains, beer, and wine ^[2].

Is It Toxic

Consuming or inhaling large amounts of vanadium can be toxic to humans ^[2]. Lung problems, including pneumonia or bronchitis, may occur in industrial workers exposed to large amounts of vanadium and its compounds ^[2]. In a study, it has been shown that inhalation of V₂O₅ causes DNA damage, increasing the risks of cancer in workers.

Interesting Facts

• Body armors and portable artillery pieces used during World War I were made with vanadium ^[2].
• In a research study, vanadium supplements given to 8 people who have type-2 diabetes for a month helped reduce blood sugar without any serious side effects ^[2].
• It can withstand attacks by alkalis, salt water, sulfuric and hydrochloric acid ^[4].
• The element readily oxidizes in air at about 660 °C to form vanadium pentoxide ^[4].
• The oxidation states of vanadium have green, blue, yellow, and purple colors ^[2].
• The graphic representation of vanadium indicates the 8th-century figurine of Freyja, the Scandinavian goddess from whom the element’s name is derived ^[1].

Vanadium Price

The cost of pure vanadium is around $2.20 per gram, and in bulk, its price is around $0.027 ^[4].

References
1. http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/23/vanadium
2. https://www.livescience.com/29155-vanadium.html
3. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/iso023.html
4. https://www.chemicool.com/elements/vanadium.html
5. https://www.webqc.org/molecular-weight-of-V%28vanadium%29.html
6. http://periodictable.com/Elements/023/data.html
7. https://www.wou.edu/las/physci/ch462/Vanadium.htm
8. http://chemistry-reference.com/q_elements.asp?Symbol=V
9. http://www.sciencegeek.net/Chemistry/chempdfs/CommonIons.pdf
10. http://www.mining.com/web/vanadium-metal-cant-without-dont-produce/