Chapter 9 - Extracting vanadium pentoxide from minerals and composite materials containing vanadium

Abstract

Depending on the vanadium content of mineral resources from different regions, different vanadium-extraction technologies are required to process the raw material, which can have multiple complex and variable compositions and be classified as low-grade vanadium oxide. Vanadium-extraction technology includes three approaches, where vanadium pentoxide is extracted from: low-grade raw materials, high-vanadium raw materials, or a combination of vanadium-extraction and precious metal recycling, which results in balanced enrichment, transformation, and recycling. All vanadium-extraction technologies have characteristics of chemical metallurgy and metallurgical chemistry. Suitable parameters are selected to treat the V-containing raw material, which allow the V-containing compounds to be converted into water soluble salts, or substances soluble in alkali or acid. The V-containing raw material is roasted and oxidized to convert low-valence vanadium into high-valence vanadium and produce soluble sodium vanadate. High-temperature roasting results in structural transformation of V-containing raw materials, where soluble vanadate is produced as a stable intermediate compound. The vanadium and other mineral components in the V-containing raw material are separated, and soluble vanadium enters the liquid phase, while the insoluble compounds are retained in the slag. Identifying a suitable process for extracting vanadium is the main target for processing V-containing raw materials.