Sources of Vanadium
Vanadium is another wear metal commonly found alloyed with other metals. Vanadium may also be found in the coating of parts like valves, rods, rings, and bearings. Typically, increasing levels of vanadium, and possibly chromium, disproportional with iron, indicate coating wear, whereas proportional increases suggest hard steel alloy wear.
One form of a harmless increase in vanadium may be seen from the use of Bunker C fuel in engines. Crude oil, typically from the Caribbean area or Mexico, contains vanadium, and much of it remains in some lesser-refined products. Unburnt fuel will carry vanadium into the engine oil, appearing if heat drives of the fuel. This will manifest as reasonably stable vanadium values, that may correlate with nickel, iron, potassium, sodium, aluminum, copper, and/or silicon.
Watch for the next article in the Elemental Spectroscopy blog series: Silver
