Vanadium has been strongly moving into focus in the last decade. Due to its chemical properties, vanadium is vital for applications in the upcoming renewable energy revolution as well as usage in special alloys. The uprising demand forces the industry to consider the exploration of less attractive sources besides vanadiferous titanomagnetite deposits, such as lead vanadate deposits. Mineral processing and metallurgical treatment of lead vanadate deposits stopped in the 1980s, although the deposits contain a noteworthy amount of the desired resource vanadium. There has been a wide variety of research activities in the first half of the last century, including density sorting and flotation to recover concentrates as well as pyro- and hydrometallurgical treatment to produce vanadium oxide. There have been ecological issues and technical restrictions in the past that made these deposits uninteresting. Meanwhile, regarding the development of mineral processing and metallurgy, there are methods and strategies to reconsider lead vanadates as a highly-potential vanadium resource. This review does not merely provide an overview of lead vanadate sources and the challenges in previous mechanical and metallurgical processing activities, but shows opportunities to ensure vanadium production out of primary sources in the future.

Geology and resources of base-metal vanadate deposits

Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Treatment of Lead Vanadate Ores

background

Mineral and energy resources of the BLM Roswell Resource Area, east-central New Mexico

Chapter 1 – SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY OF STRATA-BOUND AND STRATIFORM ORE DEPOSITS, 1974–19781

ABSTRACT Vanadium is currently considered a critical material in the European Union, the U.S.A., and other jurisdictions. The vanadium mine production for 2021 is estimated at more than 120 000 tonnes; however, the market base is expected to grow rapidly due to the increase in the use of vanadium for redox flow batteries. Currently, world-wide, many projects are in the advanced stages of exploration and development. In the longer term, should vanadium cease to be a critical material and the law of supply and demand applies, the marginal mines will be decommissioned, and the best deposits will remain economic. Depending on the prevailing regulations in specific jurisdictions, geological settings, and the most up-to-date metallurgical research results, the main vanadium deposit types that could be considered as potential exploration and development targets are the vanadiferous titanomagnetite deposits, sandstone-hosted uranium-vanadium deposits (Salt Wash category), shale-hosted vanadium deposits, and base metal-related vanadate deposits. However, placer deposits, surficial uranium-vanadium type mineralisation, and the Minas Ragra type patrónite deposits should also be considered.

Vanadium as a critical material: economic geology with emphasis on market and the main deposit types

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Geology and resources of base-metal vanadate deposits

Citations

Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Treatment of Lead Vanadate Ores

Mineral and energy resources of the BLM Roswell Resource Area, east-central New Mexico

Chapter 1 – SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY OF STRATA-BOUND AND STRATIFORM ORE DEPOSITS, 1974–19781

Vanadium as a critical material: economic geology with emphasis on market and the main deposit types

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