# Vanadium

A pinch of vanadium makes steel far stronger; most of it is a by-product of iron ore smelted in China and Russia.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/

Steel & alloying · No. 17

- EU critical 2023
- US critical 2025
- India critical 2023
- HHI 5,127 · highly concentrated
 Steel & alloying · Foundation · Matter

Henry Ford sold the Model T on its vanadium steel, and a pinch of the same metal still strengthens today's rebar.

Chart: Illustration: Vanadium

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Vanadium is common but thinly spread, under 2% of its host rocks. Most is recovered from the slag when vanadium-bearing iron ore is smelted.

##### Three things to know

1. Only 0.05-0.15% vanadium in steel refines its grain enough to cut the steel needed in rebar and beams.
2. About 85% of vanadium is a by-product, mostly of smelting iron ore in China and Russia.
3. US vanadium comes entirely from ash, residues and spent catalysts, and rose from 3,200 tonnes in 2021 to about 7,500 in 2025.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Titanomagnetite ore**Iron ore carrying a little vanadium
2. 2 **Ironmaking**Vanadium concentrates into the slag
3. 3 **Pentoxide**Slag roasted and leached to V2O5
4. 4 **Alloys**Ferrovanadium or vanadium-aluminium master alloy
5. 5 **End uses**Strong steel, titanium alloys, flow batteries
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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/links/index.md)