VANADIUM (Data in metric tons of vanadium content, unless noted) Domestic Production and Use: The U.S. vanadium industry consisted of nine firms, but only eight had active operations. Raw materials included Idaho ferrophosphorus slag, petroleum residues, spent catalysts, utility ash, and vanadium-bearing iron slag. The chief use of vanadium was as an alloying agent for iron and steel. Vanadium was also important in the production of aerospace titanium alloys and as a catalyst for the production of maleic anhydride and sulfuric acid. Major end-use distribution was as follows: transportation, 32%; machinery and tools, 34%; building and heavy construction, 21%; and other, 13%. Salient Statistics--United States: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e/ Production: Mine, recoverable basis W W W W W Mill, recovered basis1/ W W W W W Petroleum residues, recovered basis 2,250 1,350 2,870 2,740 2,500 Imports for consumption: Ores, slag, residues 882 838 1,450 1,900 1,500 Vanadium pentoxide, anhydride 133 206 70 294 150 Oxides and hydroxides, other 110 103 19 3 5 Aluminum-vanadium master alloys (gross weight) 73 50 19 38 50 Ferrovanadium 420 592 1,630 1,910 1,200 Exports: Vanadium pentoxide, anhydride 700 26 126 335 450 Oxides and hydroxides, other 1,110 1,110 895 1,050 1,100 Aluminum-vanadium master alloys (gross weight) 141 60 866 1,030 700 Other compounds 816 2,020 989 -- -- Ferrovanadium 94 213 219 374 350 Shipments from Government stockpile -- -- -- -- -- Consumption: Reported 3,290 4,080 3,970 4,290 4,300 Apparent W W W W W Price, average, dollars per pound V2O5 2.85 2.28 1.45 2.95 2.80 Stocks, producer and consumer, yearend 935 1,080 900 1,110 1,000 Employment, mine and mill 490 430 430 400 430 Net import reliance2/ as a percent of apparent consumption W W W W W Recycling: Some tool steel scrap was recycled primarily for its vanadium content. Vanadium was also recycled as a minor component of scrap iron and steel alloys, which were recycled principally for their iron content. An increasing amount of vanadium was also recycled from spent chemical process catalysts. Import Sources (1991-94):3/ Russia, 34%; South Africa, 29%; Canada, 20%; Mexico 12%; and other, 5%. Tariff: Item Number Most favored nation (MFN) Non-MFN4/ 12/31/95 12/31/95 Slag 2619.00.9030 Free Free. Ash and residues 2620.50.0000 Free Free. Vanadium pentoxide anhydride 2825.30.0010 16.0% ad val. 40% ad val. Vanadium oxides and hydroxides, other 2825.30.0050 16.0% ad val. 40% ad val. Vanadates 2841.90.1000 11.2% ad val. 40% ad val. Ferrovanadium 7202.92.0000 4.2% ad val. 25% ad val. Aluminum-vanadium master alloys 7601.20.9030 Free 10.5% ad val. Waste and scrap 8112.40.3000 Free Free. Depletion Allowance: 22% (Domestic), 14% (Foreign). Prepared by Henry E. Hilliard, (703) 648-4970. VANADIUM Government Stockpile: Stockpile Status--9-30-95 Uncommitted Committed Authorized Disposals Material inventory inventory for disposal Jan.-Sept. 95 Vanadium pentoxide 424 63 237 416 Events, Trends, and Issues: The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined on June 22, 1995, that ferrovanadium and nitrided vanadium imports from Russia caused injury to U.S. industry, and Russian exporters to the U.S. were subjected to antidumping deposits. The ITC voted 5 to 1 in the affirmative to find injury, concluding the antidumping investigation and putting in place the final antidumping margins set by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Deposit rates equal to those margins have been required since they were published in the Federal Register on May 26, 1995. They are as follows: Galt Alloys, Inc, 3.75%; Gesellschaft fr Electrometallurgie mbH and its related companies, Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corp., and Metallurg, Inc., 11.72%; Odermet, Ltd., 10.10%; and Russia-wide, 108%. Vanadium consumption in the United States for the first 6 months of 1995 increased by about 10% over consumption in the first 6 months of 1994. Consumption in the two largest end use categories, carbon and high-strength low-alloy steels, increased 6% and 13%, respectively, from consumption in the same period of 1994. Consumption in the full alloy sector was up 9% over last year's corresponding period, while consumption in the tool steel sector fell 16%. Consumption in the stainless and heat-resisting end use category, a small consuming sector, was up by about 20% in the first 6 months of the year over the same period in 1994. World Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base: Mine production Reserves5/ Reserve base5/ 1994 1995e/ United States W W 45,000 4,000,000 Australia -- -- 30,000 350,000 Brazil -- -- -- 24,000 China 5,000 5,500 2,000,000 3,000,000 Finland -- -- -- 100,000 Russia 10,000 10,500 5,000,000 7,000,000 South Africa 15,700 16,000 3,000,000 12,000,000 Other countries 3,200 3,500 -- 1,000,000 World total (may be rounded) 6/ 33,900 6/ 35,000 10,000,000 27,000,000 World Resources: World resources of vanadium exceeded 63 million tons. Vanadium occurs in deposits of titaniferous magnetite, phosphate rock, and uraniferous sandstone and siltstone, in which it constitutes less than 2% of the host rock. Significant amounts are also present in bauxite and carboniferous materials such as crude oil, coal, oil shale, and tar sands. Because vanadium is usually recovered as a byproduct or coproduct, demonstrated world resources of the element are not fully indicative of available supplies. While domestic resources are adequate to supply current domestic needs, a substantial part of U.S. demand is currently met by foreign material because of price advantages. Substitutes: Steels containing various combinations of other alloying elements can be substituted for steels containing vanadium. Among various metals that are to some degree interchangeable with vanadium as alloying elements in steel are columbium, manganese, molybdenum, titanium, and tungsten. Platinum and nickel can replace vanadium compounds as catalysts in some chemical processes. There is currently no acceptable substitute for vanadium in aerospace titanium alloys. e/Estimated. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. 1/Produced from domestic materials. 2/Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes. 3/The European Union, Canada, and Austria produced vanadium alloys and chemicals solely from imported raw materials. 4/See Appendix B. 5/See Appendix C for definitions. 6/Excludes U.S. production. Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996