Vanadium in nature usually exists in the form of minerals. It rarely forms independent minerals but is mainly found in vanadium-titanium magnetite, vanadinite, phosphate rock, uranium-bearing sandstone, and siltstone. In addition, a large amount of vanadium is found in bauxite and carbonaceous materials such as petroleum, coal, and associated minerals in black rock formations.

Vanadium batteries (all-vanadium redox flow batteries) are one of the excellent green and environmentally friendly storage batteries with strong development momentum. They have the characteristics of large capacity, high efficiency, safety and environmental protection, and low cost throughout their life cycle. They are one of the preferred technologies in the fields of renewable energy storage, grid peak regulation, and backup power supply. With the introduction of the national "dual carbon" strategic goal, China's new energy industry has entered a new round of rapid development. Vanadium battery energy storage technology has become a key technology to solve the bottleneck of new energy power generation, and its development prospects are broad. The application of vanadium in aerospace, national defense, and military industries is of great significance to enhancing the country's national defense and military strength.

I. Current Status and Occurrence Characteristics of Vanadium Resources

The abundance of vanadium in the earth's crust is 0.02% to 0.03%. Global reserves are abundant, and the main types of occurrence include three categories: vanadium-titanium magnetite, petroleum-associated vanadium ore, and bauxite-type vanadium resources.

1. Vanadium-Titanium Magnetite

This is the most important type of vanadium resource in the world, with vanadium existing in the form of isomorphic substitution in titanomagnetite. Typical examples include the Panzhihua mining area in China and the Kursk region in Russia. This type of mineral resource has stable grade and large reserves, and is the most important raw material source for the vanadium industry.

2. Petroleum-Associated Vanadium Resources

Vanadium in petroleum coke exists in the form of organic complexes or vanadium trioxide, which is a by-product resource of petroleum refining. It has certain development potential in countries rich in heavy crude oil resources such as Venezuela, Canada, and the United States, but the technical processing difficulty is relatively large.

3. Bauxite-Type Vanadium Resources

Mainly distributed in countries such as South Africa, Ghana, and Guinea, the vanadium content is relatively low, but the resource potential is considerable. Currently, there have also been development attempts of this type of resource in Shandong and Guangxi, China.

According to USGS (2024 data), the global vanadium reserves are approximately 27 million tons, of which China accounts for more than 40%, ranking first in the world, followed by Russia, South Africa, and Brazil. The distribution of vanadium resources is characterized by "high concentration and dominance by major countries".

II. Main Application Fields of Vanadium

The current consumption structure of vanadium shows a "three-legged" pattern:

1. Iron and Steel Industry (approximately 85%)

Vanadium, as a strengthening element for steel, is an important component of high-strength steel, weathering steel, and spring steel. It is widely used in construction steel, bridge steel, oil well pipelines, and railway tracks. China's annual vanadium consumption in the steel industry exceeds 60,000 tons.

2. Energy Storage and Battery Industry (approximately 10%)

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB), with their advantages of high safety, long life, large capacity, and deep discharge capability, are considered the next generation of large-scale energy storage technology. Vanadium electrolyte, as its core material, has created new growth points for vanadium chemicals. In 2023, the installed capacity of vanadium batteries in China reached 120 MW, and it is expected to exceed 500 MW in 2025.

3. Chemical and Catalysis Fields (approximately 5%)

Vanadium compounds such as vanadium pentoxide (V ₂ O ₅ ) are commonly used catalysts in the sulfuric acid industry and are also widely used in ceramic colorants, glass decolorants, and rubber accelerators.

In addition, vanadium is also used in aerospace alloys, magnetic materials, and special coatings in high-end manufacturing.

III. Challenges of Vanadium Slag Filtration and Filter Cloth Performance Requirements

The vanadium slag has extremely fine particle sizes and the following characteristics:

Strong Adhesion : Easily blocks the pores of the filter cloth, resulting in uneven filter cake formation;

Viscous Filtrate : The liquid phase contains a large amount of metal ions and residue;

High Water Content : Conventional equipment cannot reduce the water content to the requirements for transportation and resource utilization;

Fluctuating Acidity and Alkalinity : High requirements for the chemical corrosion resistance of the filter cloth material.

Therefore, the supporting industrial filter cloth must not only have good filtration accuracy and dehydration efficiency, but also meet the following key performance requirements:

Balance of High Retention Accuracy and Permeability : Ensure that the filter cloth can effectively intercept fine particles without excessively sacrificing filtration speed;

Strong Chemical Resistance : Adaptable to the corrosive environment of acidic or alkaline vanadium slag;

Good Release Properties : The filter cake is easy to automatically peel off, reducing mechanical intervention and extending the service life of the filter cloth;

High Strength and Structural Stability : Adaptable to long-term operation and stretching conditions;

Excellent Regenerability : Easy to clean online, ensuring high efficiency even after multiple cycles of use.

IV. Application Advantages of Xiamen Citius Industrial Filter Cloth

In the actual application of vanadium slag filtration, the industrial filter cloth developed by Xiamen Citius Filtration Materials Technology Co., Ltd. has achieved stable operation and excellent performance in many vanadium iron ore projects. Its filter cloth for horizontal vacuum belt filter presses, based on high-density weaving technology and special surface treatment technology, has the following advantages:

Precise Pore Size Control Through double-layer or multi-layer weaving structures, the pore size distribution is effectively controlled, balancing precision and flow rate;

Enhanced anti-clogging performance Surface smoothing treatment + anti-adhesion coating, improves filter cake release;

Excellent chemical resistance Suitable for pickling/alkali immersion environments, ensuring long-term operational stability;

High mechanical strength Supports long-term, high-load operation, good wear resistance;

Customized service for special working conditions According to the specific properties of vanadium slag, process parameters and equipment model, customized filtration solutions are provided for different working conditions.

In actual cases, by using Citius filter cloth, the vanadium slag filtration capacity of a vanadium iron ore washing and selection line has been increased by 30%, the moisture content of the filter cake has been reduced from 28% to 22%, and the filter cloth replacement cycle has been extended from once a month to once every 3 months, greatly reducing operating costs and maintenance pressure.

V. Current Market Status and Development Trends

In 2023, the global vanadium output was approximately 115,000 tons (vanadium pentoxide equivalent), of which China's output was about 69,000 tons, with the export share increasing year by year. Vanadium prices show cyclical fluctuations; benefiting from the expansion of the downstream energy storage industry, they have shown a stable upward trend in recent years.

Market development shows the following trends:

Policy-driven strategic layout China, the United States, and the European Union have all included vanadium in their lists of key minerals, emphasizing its strategic security status;

Energy storage industry drives new demand As the construction of the new energy + energy storage system accelerates, the expansion of the vanadium battery market will become a future growth point;

Green and low-carbon drive process innovation Green and efficient vanadium extraction and vanadium electrolyte recycling have become the focus of industry research and development;

Industry chain extends to high-end Vanadium alloys, functional vanadium materials, and composite energy storage units have become emerging industrial directions.

According to relevant institutions' predictions, by 2030, global vanadium demand will reach 160,000 tons, with energy storage demand contributing more than 25%. Vanadium will transform from a traditional steel material additive to a core element of strategic new materials, with its value system undergoing continuous reconstruction.

Conclusion

The development of vanadium iron ore resources is entering a new stage of green and high efficiency. With the continuous improvement of national standards for resource utilization efficiency and environmental protection, the difficulty and requirements of vanadium slag treatment are also increasing. Industrial filter cloth, as a key material connecting the efficiency of the solid-liquid separation system, its technical level directly determines the operating quality and resource recovery level of the entire ore dressing system.

Xiamen Citius will continue to rely on its strong R&D capabilities and industry experience, focusing on vanadium iron ore washing and selection and various complex mineral slurry separation scenarios, to provide customers with high-performance, long-life, and sustainable industrial filter cloth solutions, contributing to the clean and efficient development and utilization of vanadium resources.