Over 2018, you may have heard investors talking about “vanadium” when discussing stock opportunities, and drawn a blank in your mind right after. In the ever-changing world of mining, that is normal and fine. However, remaining uninformed is not. Worry no more – here at FinancialNewsCorp, we have you covered. We’ve curated a crash-course digest of vanadium information for our readers to start investigating this profitable new sector.
Vanadium: What is it?
Vanadium is a solid, silvery transition metal. It takes its name from the Scandinavian goddess of beauty, named “Vanadis,” because of the multiple colored compounds that are found in it. It’s bright, soft, ductile and enjoys a high grade of structural strength.
What are some of its uses?
Vanadium is mostly used in alloys. A majority of the worldwide production goes into steel alloys – 85% in total. The 10% is used to make titanium alloys, and the last 5% goes to other uses. The inclusion of the metal in alloys makes the final product stronger, tougher and more resistant to heat. It can be found in a wide range of products, going from gears and crankshafts all the way to jet engines, aircraft, and even superconductive magnets.
In the next piece, you will learn why it became a hot topic in the 2018 stock market, and which are some ways to include it in your portfolio.