Vanadium

Vanadium is a silvery-gray transition metal that forms a protective oxide layer on its surface. A little vanadium can make a big difference: small additions strengthen steel used in tools, gears, and bicycle frames. Its compound vanadium pentoxide acts as a catalyst, speeding up a key reaction in the manufacture of sulfuric acid. In nature, vanadium is usually combined with other elements in minerals, including vanadinite and vanadium-bearing magnetite, an important iron ore. Much of the supply is recovered from slag, the material separated from molten metal during iron and steel production. Chemical processing separates the vanadium compounds, which can then be converted into metal or an iron–vanadium alloy for steelmaking.