Chemistry of Vanadium

Vanadium takes its name from the Scandinavian goddess Vanadis and was discovered in 1801 by Andrés Manuel del Rio. It was isolated in 1867 by Henry Roscoe as a silvery-white metal that is somewhat heavier than aluminum but lighter than iron. It has excellent corrosion resistance at room temperature.

The history of its discovery is an interesting tale. del Rio sent his brown ore samples, containing what he thought was a new element to Paris for analysis and confirmation, along with a brief explanation that was ambiguous. The complete analysis and description of his work were lost in a shipwreck so the Paris lab saw nothing but brown powder and a brief confusing note. A second sample sent to Berlin was mislabeled lead chromate when it arrived. del Rio gave up, losing confidence in his discovery. The element was rediscovered in 1867 by Nils Sefstrôm.

Vanadium has an unusually large number of stable oxidation states (+2, +3, +4, +5)each of which is characterized by a unique color in solution. The metal is used as an alloying agent for steel. It combines with nearly all non-metals in compounds.