ironvanadium

Iron-vanadium, most commonly encountered as ferrovanadium, is an iron-based alloy used as a source of vanadium in steelmaking. The term can also refer to other vanadium-containing iron alloys, but ferrovanadium is the primary material supplier for introducing vanadium into steels.

Composition and production: Ferrovanadium grades typically contain roughly 50 to 70 percent vanadium by weight, with the remainder consisting of iron and trace impurities. It is produced by smelting vanadium-containing materials with iron in electric furnaces, supplying vanadium in a form that dissolves in molten steel during alloying. When added to molten iron, vanadium forms solid solutions and, on cooling or heat treatment, vanadium carbides and other precipitates that refine the microstructure.

Properties and effects: The presence of vanadium in steel strengthens and hardens the alloy by forming hard vanadium carbides, which impede dislocation motion and improve wear resistance. Vanadium also acts as a grain refiner during heat treatment, contributing to higher toughness and better creep resistance at elevated temperatures. The overall effect is increased strength and hardness without excessive loss of ductility in many steel grades.

Applications: Ferrovanadium is widely used to produce high-strength low-alloy steels, tool steels, and certain stainless steels. These vanadium-containing steels find use in automotive components, construction, machine parts, and cutting tools where a combination of strength, hardness, and wear resistance is advantageous.

Safety and handling: Vanadium compounds can be hazardous if inhaled or ingested, and proper industrial hygiene, ventilation, and protective equipment are standard when handling ferrovanadium powders or ingots.

See also: Ferrovanadium, vanadium steel, HSLA steel, tool steel.