metals

For the resilience of steel

Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a steel-grey, bluish shimmering transition metal that is very soft in the pure state. In the periodic table, the metal forms the 5th IUPAC group or vanadium group along with the heavier niobium, tantalum and dubnium. Most of the vanadium is used as so-called ferrovanadium in steel production. The addition of vanadium to chrome-vanadium steels leads to an increase in toughness and thus to increased resistance of the steel.

The element has various biological meanings and is essential for many living beings. It plays a role in controlling phosphorylation enzymes and is used by bacteria for nitrogen fixation. On the other hand, it or its compounds are suspected of causing chromosome aberrations as a mutagenic clastogen and thus acting as a poison and carcinogen.

The best-known compound of vanadium is vanadium(V) oxide, which is used as a catalyst for the production of sulfuric acid.