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Vanadium refining or production, is the process of preparing or producing vanadium metal or related compounds, usually by the dissolution or extraction of ores containing vanadium or vanadium compounds.Vanadium is a hard and ductile transition metal. It is silvery gray with a bluish tint, due to the formation of an oxide that gives off a blue-green color. It is a common element in earths crust, and is found in many different minerals including bauxite, clinker, shale, and slate.
Vanadium is primarily extracted from the ore of ore containing vanadium, such as cinder, shale, and slate. The extraction process begins by crushing the ore and grinding it in a ball mill. The ore is then dissolved in hot sulfuric acid, and the resulting solution filtered. The chemicals which form the solution are then removed through the use of electrolysis. During the electrolysis process, an electric current is passed through the solution, which separates the vanadium from the other elements in the ore.
The vanadium is then recovered and purified. This is done by a process known as fractional distillation, which involves evaporating and re-condensing the solution multiple times until the desired purity of vanadium has been attained. One additional step in the refining process is the removal of dissolved impurities, such as lead, cadmium, and zinc, from vanadium.
Finally, the refined vanadium is then subjected to additional purification through either chemical or physical methods. Chemical methods involve treating the vanadium with a solution of acids or bases to further remove any impurities, while physical methods involve heating the vanadium and using specific filtration or centrifugation techniques to remove any impurities.
The purified vanadium is then ready for use. It can be molded into different shapes, powder, or strips as desired. Depending on the grade required, the vanadium can also be further alloyed with other metals to create a desired metal.
Vanadium is used in a variety of ways, including production of metal alloys, catalysts, and electronics. It has excellent corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and low mechanical strength. Vanadium alloys are common in the aerospace industry, while vanadium catalysts are used in the production of petrochemicals. In electronics, vanadium is used to make additional components, such as switches and circuit boards.