The high strengths provided by small vanadium additions allow steelmakers to produce the value-added high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steels that are widely used in engineering applications. By replacing ferrovanadium with Nitrovan^® vanadium, steelmakers can achieve these high strengths more efficiently and at lower costs. Nitrovan^® vanadium optimizes the strengthening mechanisms in high-strength, low-alloy steels, allowing steelmakers to use less vanadium to reach desired strength levels. This significantly reduces vanadium costs.

In this example, a 0.053% vanadium addition of Nitrovan^® vanadium yielded the same 425 MPa (60 ksi) yield strength as 0.070% vanadium added as ferrovanadium. This reduction is possible because Nitrovan^® vanadium strengthens steel more efficiently than ferrovanadium. Depending on desired strength levels, steel producers using Nitrovan^® vanadium can reduce vanadium additions by 20 to 40% compared to using ferrovanadium.

That is why Nitrovan^® vanadium is the preferred addition worldwide for microalloyed high-strength steels.

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