How to make ferro vanadium?FeV50 Ferrovanadium Prices

Methods of making ferrovanadium
Ferrovanadium is made by two main processes: the silicothermic process and the aluminothermic process1:

Silicothermic process: This is a common method for producing ferrovanadium. In this process, vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) reacts with ferrosilicon in an electric arc furnace. Specifically, V2O5 reacts with silicon and lime to produce vanadium and calcium silicate. This process is divided into a reduction period and a refining period, and the reduction period can be divided into two or three stages of smelting. In the reduction period, excess ferrosilicon is used to reduce the refined slag in the furnace until the V2O5 content in the slag is less than 0.35%. Then the refining period begins, and a mixture of vanadium pentoxide and lime is added for further purification. When the silicon content in the alloy is less than 2%, it can be removed from the furnace.

Aluminothermic process: This method uses aluminum as a reducing agent to reduce vanadium pentoxide. The reaction equation is: 3V2O5(s) + 10Al = 6V + 5Al2O3. This reaction is exothermic and the reaction temperature can reach about 3000℃. Therefore, the reaction rate needs to be controlled to avoid excessive reaction. Ferrovanadium produced by the aluminothermic process usually contains more impurities, but it is still feasible in some applications.

The above are the main methods for making ferrovanadium. It should be noted that both methods require strict temperature control and precise ingredient ratios to ensure product quality.