2. Vanadium Origins
The element is named after 'Vanadis', the old Norse name for the Scandinavian goddess Freyja.
Vanadium was discovered in 1801 by the Spanish scientist Andres Manuel del Rio. Del Rio discovered the new element in brown lead ore (now known to be the mineral vanadinite, Pb5[VO4]3Cl) in New Spain (Mexico).
About 80% of the vanadium produced is used as a steel additive. Vanadium-steel alloys are very tough and are used for armour plate, axles, tools, piston rods and crankshafts. Less than 1% of vanadium, and as little chromium, makes steel shock resistant and vibration resistant. Vanadium alloys are used in nuclear reactors because of vanadium’s low neutron-absorbing properties
Vanadium is extracted from carnotite as a coproduct with uranium by leaching the ore concentrate for 24 hours with hot sulfuric acid and an oxidant such as sodium chlorate.

3. Bibliography