UNITED STATES MINERAL RESOURCES 



VANADIUM 



By R. P. Fischer 



CONTENTS 



Abstract of conclusions 679 



Introduction 679 



Production 680 



Geographic sources of vanadium 680 



Geologic sources of vanadium 680 



Geologic environment 681 



Geochemistry 681 



Vanadium minerals 682 



Vanadium deposits 682 



Deposits of magmatic origin 682 



Titaniferous magnetite deposits 682 



Nontitaniferous magnetite deposits 683 



Vanadium-bearing hydrothermal vein 



deposits 683 



Epigenetic deposits 683 



Vanadate deposits 683 



Deposits in sandstone 683 



Asphaltite deposits 684 



Deposits associated with alkalic 



igneous complexes 684 



Resources 684 



Reserves in productive deposits 684 



Potential resources in unproductive deposits 684 



Prospecting techniques 686 



Problems for research 687 



References cited 687 



FIGURES 



74. 



Page 

 Graph shovring principal uses of vanadium con- 

 sumed in the United States, 1955-70 680 



Generalized graph showing the principal geo- 

 graphic sources of vanadium, 1910-70 681 



Generalized graph showing the principal geo- 

 logic types of deposits from which vanadium, 

 was recovered, 1910-70 681 



TABLE 



147. 



Vanadium reserves in the principal sources of 

 vanadium, 1970 



Page 



685 



ABSTRACT OF CONCLUSIONS 



Vanadium is used mainly as an alloy agent in steel. Its 

 domestic consumption increased rapidly during the 1960's, 

 and a growth rate of demand higher than that of any other 

 ferrous mineral has been predicted to the year 2000. Foreign 

 uses, consumption, and predicted requirements have a similar 

 pattern. 



Predicted domestic requirements to the year 2000 exceed 

 the estimated amount of vanadium available from produc- 

 tive domestic sources by about 300,000 to 400,000 short tons. 

 Domestic resources in magnetite deposits and in carbonaceous 

 shales are adequate to furnish this deficient vanadium, but 

 they can do so only if domestic metallurgical practices are 

 modified or new ones are developed. 



Foreign reserves in productive titaniferous magnetite de- 

 posits and resources in known but unproductive deposits of 

 this type are adequate to satisfy world requirements for 

 vanadium in the foreseeable future; these deposits occur in 

 many countries, but the largest are in Australia, Canada, 

 South Africa, and the U.S.S.R. Large resources also occur 

 in vanadiferous shales in various parts of the world; those 

 in Australia and the U.S.S.R. are perhaps more apt to be- 

 come productive. Small but significant amounts of vanadium 

 will be recovered from other iron ores, phosphate rock, pe- 

 troleum residues, and other byproduct sources. 



Although vanadium resources are large, vanadium sup- 

 plies large enough to satisfy requirements are not necessarily 

 secure, because so much vanadium is recoverable only as a 

 byproduct of operations for other commodities. 



INTRODUCTION 



Vanadium (V) has the atomic number of 23 and 

 the atomic weight of 50.95. It is a bright silver-white 

 to steel-gray metal, with a melting point of about 

 1,900°C. Its specific gravity is 5.87 at 15°C. It alloys 

 with several other metals. 



About 80 percent of the vanadium consumed do- 

 mestically has been used as an alloy in steel (fig. 69) ; 

 foreign usage is similar. Vanadium is added mainly 

 to toughen and strengthen steel and to control its 

 grain size (National Materials Advisory Board, 1970; 

 Busch, 1961; Griffith, 1970). In vanadium-bearing 

 tool steels, the amount used ranges fi'om about 0.5 to 

 4 percent V, and it is commonly used in vai-ying com- 



U.S. GEOL. SURVEY PROF. PAPER 820 



679 



