Isotopes
Natural vanadium is a mixture of two isotopes, 50V (0.24%) and 51V (99.76%). 50V is slightly
radioactive, having a half-life of > 3.9 x 10 17 years. Nine other unstable isotopes are recognized.
Properties
Pure vanadium is a bright white metal, and is soft and ductile. It has good corrosion resistance
to alkalis, sulfuric and hydrochloric acid, and salt water, but the metal oxidizes readily above
660 oC.
The metal has good structural strength and a low fission neutron cross section, making it useful
in nuclear applications.
Uses
Vanadium is used in producing rust resistant and high speed tools steels. It is an important
carbide stabilizer in making steels.
About 80% of the vanadium now produced is used as ferrovanadium or as a steel additive.
Vanadium foil is used as a bonding agent in cladding titanium to steel. Vanadium pentoxide is
used in ceramics and as a catalyst.
It is also used to produce a superconductive magnet with a field of 175,000 gauss.
Handling
Vanadium and its compounds are toxic and should be handled with care. The maximum
allowable concentration of V 2 O 5 dust in air is about 0.05 (8-hour time-weighted average -
40-hour week).
Costs
Ductile vanadium is commercially available. Commercial vanadium metal, of about 95% purity,
costs about $20/lb. Vanadium (99.9%) costs about $100/oz.
Isotopes
Sources: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics and the American Chemical Society.
Last Updated: 12/19/97, CST Information Services Team
Vanadium