Vanadium

Vanadium in New Zealand

Vanadium occurs in association with iron and titanium in placer titanomagnetite deposits of the west coast of the North Island and magnetite-ilmenite deposits in Fiordland.

A vanadium-rich slag is produced by BHP New Zealand Steel during steel manufacture at the Glenbrook Steel mill. Currently 12,000 t/yr is produced and exported to China, representing 10% of the world’s vanadium production. The slag is processed to enrich (V₂O₅) with the product used to make ferrovanadium, which is used as an additive in steel.

Geology and Exploration

Vanadium is primarily extracted from:

• Titanium-vanadium magnetite deposits (e.g., layered mafic intrusions).
• Shale-hosted vanadium deposits in organic-rich black shales.
• Secondary sources like steel slag and petroleum residues.

Why Vanadium is Critical

• Essential for strong, lightweight, and durable materials in construction, aerospace, and defence.
• Enables efficient renewable energy storage, critical for reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
• Increasing global demand, with supply risks due to limited primary producers (China, Russia, South Africa).

Vanadium’s role in steel, energy storage, and future technologies makes it a vital element for the transition to a low-carbon economy and a strategic mineral for global industries.

Key Uses of Vanadium

High-Strength Steels

• Over 90% of vanadium is used as an alloying element in steel production, forming vanadium carbide (VC), which increases strength, toughness, and wear resistance.
• Used in high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels for construction, bridges, pipelines, and vehicles.
• Essential for aerospace alloys, improving heat resistance and durability in jet engines and space applications.
  
  

Energy Storage and Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs)

• VRFBs provide long-duration, high-capacity energy storage, ideal for renewable energy integration (e.g., solar and wind power).
• Unlike lithium-ion batteries, VRFBs have virtually unlimited cycle life, making them a key technology for grid-scale energy storage.

Chemical and Catalytic Applications

• Vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) is used as a catalyst in the production of sulfuric acid, a vital industrial chemical.
• Plays a role in petrochemical refining by removing impurities in crude oil processing.

Emerging Technologies

• Used in vanadium-based superconductors and next-generation quantum materials.
• Research into vanadium alloys for fusion energy reactors is ongoing due to its radiation resistance.

Additional Reading

Brathwaite RL, Pirajno F. 1993. Metallogenic map of New Zealand. Lower Hutt (NZ): Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences. 215 p. (Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences monograph; 3).

Williams GJ. 1974. Economic geology of New Zealand. Rev. ed. Victoria (AU): Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 490 p. (Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy monograph series; 4).