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Physical and Chemical Properties of Vanadium

The transition metal vanadium, V, has 23 protons in its nucleus and in its most commonly found isotope has 28 neutrons. Initially discovered in 1801 and named erythronium by Spanish chemist Andres Manuel del Rio while working in Mexico, del Rio withdrew his claim under criticism, leading to the element's re-discovery by Swedish chemist Nils Gabriel Sefstrom in 1830, who named the element vanadium after the Swedish goddess Vanadis. Today, vanadium is widely used in steel production for its rust resistance.

Appearance
- Vanadium in pure form appears as a soft, bright white metal. Vanadium is found in nature in a wide variety of minerals, including carnotite, roscoelite, vanadinite, mottramite and patronite and accompanying iron ore and phosphate rock deposits.
Melting and Boiling Points
- With a melting point of 1,910 degrees Celsius (3,470 degrees Fahrenheit), vanadium is a solid at room temperature. The boiling point of vanadium is 3,407 degrees Celsius (6,165 degrees Fahrenheit).
Isotopes
- More than 99 percent of naturally-occurring vanadium is in the isotope V-51. Less than 1 percent of vanadium appears as V-50, and an additional nine isotopes have been identified with half-lives less than a year, often measured in minutes.
Chemical Reactions
- Vanadium reacts with heat and oxygen to produce vanadium oxide. Pure vanadium forms an oxide layer along its surface, preventing further reaction with water. Vanadium is resistant to corrosion by acids.
Oxidation State
- As with other transition metals, vanadium has a variable oxidation number. This oxidation number may be 2, 3, 4 or 5, with 5 being the most common oxidation number in vanadium compounds. Vanadium can therefore react with another element to form a variety of compounds. For example, vanadium can react with fluorine to form vanadium difluoride (VF2), vanadium trifluoride (VF3), vanadium tetrafluoride (VF4) or vanadium pentafluoride (VF5).
Toxicity
- Both pure vanadium and vanadium compounds are toxic, with minute amounts of dust considered hazardous. However, extremely small amounts of vanadium are needed for growth and reproductive development in animals, with humans averaging on the order of 30 parts per billion of vanadium by weight.
Uses
- The principal use of vanadium is in steel manufacturing. Pure vanadium is not required for this, and vanadium oxide is typically used, producing ferrovanadium. Vanadium is also used as a catalyst in the production of sulfuric acid.
Sources
- Vanadium is not mined in the United States, and limited amounts are obtained from recycling tool steel as the vanadium often is lost in the slag. The Czech Republic supplies more than three-quarters of ferrovanadium imports, and South Africa is the principal source for vanadium pentoxide imports.

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