Key Facts about Vanadium

About Vanadium:

• It is a chemical element with the symbol "V" and atomic number 23.
• It is a silver-gray, ductile, and malleable metallic element.
• It is harder than most metals and exhibits good corrosion resistance against alkalis and acids.
• History:
  • It was discovered (1801) by the Spanish mineralogist Andrés Manuel del Río, who named it erythronium but eventually came to believe it was merely impure chromium.
  • The element was rediscovered (1830) by the Swedish chemist Nils Gabriel Sefström, who named it after Vanadis, the Scandinavian goddess of beauty and youth.
  • The English chemist Henry Enfield Roscoe first isolated the metal in 1867 by hydrogen reduction of vanadium dichloride.
• Occurrence:
  • Found combined in various minerals, coal, and petroleum, vanadium is the 22nd most abundant element in Earth’s crust. 
  • It is found in over 60 different minerals, including vanadinite, carnotite, roscoelite and patronite.
  • The largest resources of vanadium minerals are found in South Africa and Russia.
• Leading Producers:  China, South Africa, and Russia.
• Applications:
  • Alloys:
    • One of the primary uses of vanadium is as an alloying element in steel and other metals.
    • Vanadium steel, for example, is known for its strength, toughness, and ability to maintain hardness at high temperatures. It is commonly used in tools, cutlery, and structural materials.
  • In Vanadium Flow Batteries (VFBs), vanadium is used to create a reliable, safe and stable solution for the storage of renewable energy. 
  • Chemical Catalysts: Vanadium compounds are used as catalysts in various chemical reactions, such as the production of sulfuric acid.
  • Nuclear Applications: Vanadium is used in some nuclear reactors as a structural material and neutron moderator.
  • In the medical sphere, vanadium is used to treat a number of ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol.

Key Facts about Gulf of Khambhat:

• It is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. 
• Earlier, it was known as the Gulf of Cambay. 
• Stretching for about 80 miles, it divides the Kathiawar Peninsula from the south-eastern part of Gujarat.
• Rivers: The Narmada, Tapti, Mahi, and Sabarmati rivers drain into it.
• Geography:
  • It is a relatively shallow and enclosed body of water, characterized by its tidal movements and extensive mudflats.
  • It is known for having one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, with tides that can rise and fall dramatically.
  • There are some coral reefs around small inlets in the western part of the Gulf.

Q1) What is Ductility?

Ductility is a mechanical property of materials that describes their ability to undergo plastic deformation or change in shape without breaking when subjected to tensile forces. In simple terms, ductility measures how easily a material can be stretched or elongated without fracturing. It is the opposite of brittleness, which refers to a material's tendency to fracture when subjected to stress.

Source: After lithium in Kashmir, rare metal vanadium, key for batteries, found off Gujarat coast