Vanadium is a shiny white metal with an atomic weight of 50.9415 atomic units, a melting point of 1910 degrees Centigrade and a boiling point of 3407 degrees C. Vanadium is found in at least 65 minerals, the most important being carnotite, roscoelite, vanadinite and patronite. Phosphate rock and some iron ores, crude oils and meteorites also contain small amounts of vanadium. Vanadium can have a valence of 3 or 5, depending on how many electrons it needs to combine with another element. Vanadium is used in making steel, rust resistance, engine parts and glass and ceramics manufacture.
Carnotite
The molecular formula of carnotite is (K2O∙2UO3∙V2O5∙3H2O), where K is potassium, U is uranium, O is oxygen and H is hydrogen. The molecular weight of carnotite is 902.18 grams/mole. The mineral is bright yellow and slightly radioactive. Carnotite is found in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Zaire, Morocco, Australia and Kazakhstan.
Roscoelite
The molecular formula of roscoelite is K(V3+, Al, Mg)2AlSi3O10(OH)2, where Al is aluminum, Mg is magnesium and Si is silicon. The molecular weight of roscoelite is 411.01 grams/mole. V3+ indicates that, in this molecule, vanadium has a valence of three. Some forms of roscoelite are also found in combination with calcium. Roscoelite is olive green to brownish green and is very slightly radioactive. It is found in many places in the United States, Australia, Japan, Gabon, Fiji, New Guinea and the Czech Republic.
Vanadinite
The molecular formula for vanadinite or lead chlorovanadate is Pb5(VO4)Cl3, where Pb is lead and Cl is chlorine. The molecular weight of vanadinite is 1416.27 grams/mole. The mineral is red, yellow or brownish and is found mainly in Arizona, Mexico, Nambia, Zambia and South Africa. Vanadinite is not radioactive.
Patronite
The molecular formula for patronite is V5S4, where S is sulphur. The molecular weight of patronite is 179.21 grams per mole. Patronite varies in color from gray to greenish black to black. The richest site of the mineral is in Peru. Patronite is not radioactive.
Minor Sources of Vanadium
Small amounts of vanadium can be found in certain iron ores, phosphate rock, some crude oils, weathered shale and coal. Foods, including fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, grains, dairy products and some spices, contain trace amounts of the element.
Tags: grams mole, molecular formula, molecular weight, amounts vanadium, crude oils, grams mole mineral,