What is Ferrovanadium?
Ferro-vanadium is a ferroalloy used in the steel industry. Its main components are vanadium and iron, and it also contains impurities such as sulfur, phosphorus, silicon, and aluminum. Vanadium is a malleable metal. About 90% of vanadium is used in the steel industry.
Ferro Vanadium Uses
Element additive for smelting vanadium-containing alloy steel and alloy cast iron. 2. Used to make permanent magnets. 3. Vanadium steel.
Specification of Ferro Vanadium
| Grade | V ≥ | C ≤ | Si ≤ | P ≤ | S ≤ | Al ≤ |
| FeV40 | 40 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.5 |
| FeV50 | 50 | 0.75 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 0.05 | 0.8 |
| FeV75 | 75 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.05 | 3.0 |
Ferro Vanadium Additives:
1. Carvan vanadium-a high-carbon iron-vanadium additive for steel and vanadium-containing alloys;
2. Nitrovan vanadium, Ferovan – used as an additive for smelting alloy steel and low alloy steel;
3. Vanadium aluminum alloy – vanadium additive for the production of titanium alloys.
Functions of Ferro Vanadium
1. Ordinary low-alloy steel – refine the grain, increase the strength of the steel, and inhibit its aging effect;
2. Alloy structural steel – refine the grain, and increase the strength and toughness of the steel;
3. Spring steel – used in conjunction with chromium or manganese to increase the elastic limit of steel and improve its quality;
4. Tool steel – refine the structure and grain of the steel, increase the tempering stability of steel, enhance its secondary hardening effect, improve its wear resistance, and prolong the service life of tools;
5. In heat-resistant steel and hydrogen-resistant steel – beneficial effect;
6. Cast iron – Refines the grains of the matrix to increase the hardness, tensile strength, and wear resistance of the casting.
The Raw Materials of Ferrovanadium
Lead ore, pig iron, steel, vanadium oxides, and ferrovanadium smelting by aluminothermic method.
Ferro Vanadium Production
It is obtained by reducing vanadium pentoxide with carbon in an electric furnace,
It can also be obtained by reducing vanadium pentoxide by the electric furnace silicon thermal method.
Electrosilicothermic method: Flaky vanadium pentoxide uses 75% ferrosilicon and a small amount of aluminum as reducing agent, and in an alkaline electric arc furnace, it undergoes two stages of reduction and refining to obtain a qualified product. During the reduction period, put all the reducing agent in one furnace and flaky vanadium pentoxide accounting for 60~70% of the total amount into the electric furnace, and carry out silicon thermal reduction under the high calcium oxide slag. When the V2O5 in the slag is less than 0.35%, the slag (called poor slag, which can be discarded or used as building materials) is released and transferred to the refining period. At this time, flake vanadium pentoxide and lime are added to remove excess silicon, aluminum, etc. in the alloy liquid. When the composition of the ferroalloy meets the requirements, the slag and ferroalloy can be removed. The slag released in the later stage of refining is called rich slag (containing V2O5 up to 8~12%), and it will be returned to use when the next furnace starts to feed. The alloy liquid is generally cast into a cylindrical ingot, and the finished product is finished after cooling, demoulding, crushing and slag cleaning. This method is generally used for smelting ferrovanadium containing 40-60% vanadium. The recovery rate of vanadium can reach 98%. Refining per ton of ferrovanadium consumes about 1,600 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
Thermite method uses aluminum as reducing agent, and adopts lower ignition method to smelt in the furnace barrel of basic furnace lining. First put a small part of the mixed charge into the reactor, and then ignite. After the reaction starts, add the rest of the charge one after another. It is usually used to smelt high vanadium iron (containing 60~80% vanadium), and the recovery rate is slightly lower than that of electrosilicothermal method, about 90~95%.