Vanadium (UNS R06490 / R06491)
Vanadium is a bright, silvery-grey transition metal prized for its inherent strength and remarkable resistance to corrosion by alkalis, sulfuric acid, and hydrochloric acid. While 90% of the world's Vanadium is used to create high-strength steel alloys, high-purity Vanadium metal is a "hard to find" essential for the aerospace, nuclear, and green energy sectors.
At Aries Alloys, we specialize in sourcing high-purity Vanadium and Vanadium-base alloys. It is the material of choice for engineers requiring a metal that offers the structural integrity of steel but with superior performance in specialized chemical and nuclear environments.
Key Performance Benefits
- Structural Stability: Maintains excellent mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, making it a critical component in jet engines and high-speed airframes.
- Nuclear Efficiency: Features a very low semi-capture cross-section for thermal neutrons, making it an ideal candidate for internal components in nuclear reactors.
- Chemical Resilience: Exceptional resistance to corrosion in various acidic and alkaline environments due to the formation of a stable, protective oxide film.
- Hydrogen Permeability: High-purity Vanadium acts as an effective membrane for hydrogen purification, a key technology in the burgeoning hydrogen fuel cell industry.
- Alloying Synergy: When added to Titanium (such as Ti-6Al-4V), it dramatically increases the material's strength and thermal stability.
Technical Profile & Composition
The Energy Storage Frontier:
Beyond its metallic uses, Vanadium is the heart of the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB). Unlike lithium-ion, VRFBs use vanadium ions in different oxidation states to store large amounts of energy, offering a lifespan of over 20 years without degradation.
Mechanical & Physical Data:
- Melting Point: 3470°F (1910°C)
- Density: 6.11 g/cm^3 (Significantly lighter than steel or nickel-base alloys)
- Modulus of Elasticity: 124-130 GPa
- Standard Purity: Available in 99.5% to 99.9% commercial and high-purity grades.
Primary Industrial Use Cases
Aries Alloys sources Vanadium for high-consequence technology:
- Aerospace & Defense: High-speed airframe parts and rocket engine components where a high strength-to-weight ratio is required.
- Nuclear Power: Fusion reactor first-wall materials and cladding for nuclear fuel pins due to its radiation stability.
- Chemical Industry: Linings and specialized hardware for chemical reactors handling corrosive reducing acids.
- Renewable Energy: Electrolyte precursors for large-scale grid energy storage systems (VRFBs).
- Superconducting Magnets: Used in the production of Vanadium-Gallium (V₃Ga) tape for high-field superconducting magnets.
Product Availability at Aries Alloys
- Round Bars & Rods: Precision-drawn rods for aerospace fasteners and nuclear structural components.
- Sheets & Foil: High-purity foils for hydrogen purification membranes and electronic applications.
- Pellets & Granules: For use as evaporation sources in thin-film coating and specialized alloying.
- Sputtering Targets: High-density targets for the semiconductor and optical coating industries.