vanádium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-gray transition metal that occurs in several oxidation states, most commonly +2, +3, +4, and +5. Vanadium has a high melting point of about 1910°C, a density near 6.0 g/cm3, and crystallizes in a body-centered cubic structure. It forms a range of oxides and complex compounds, many with vivid colors, and it is valued for its ability to stabilize serious metallurgical structures.
Natural vanadium consists mainly of the isotopes V-51 and V-50, with V-51 accounting for the vast majority
The principal use of vanadium is as an alloying element in steel and other metals; small additions
Historically, vanadium was first identified in 1801 by Andrés Manuel del Río in Mexico, who named it