The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has found promising concentrations of vanadium in the palaeo-proterozoic carbonaceous phyllite rocks in the Depo and Tamang areas of Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh.
- This was the first report of a primary deposit of vanadium in India, with an average grade of 0.76% V2O5 [vanadium pentoxide.
- Vanadium mineralisation in Arunachal Pradesh is geologically similar to the “stone coal” vanadium deposits of China hosted in carbonaceous shale.
- Vanadium is a high-value metal used in strengthening steel and titanium.
- India is a significant consumer of vanadium, but is not a primary producer of the strategic metal.
- Vanadium is recovered as a by-product from the slag collected from the processing of vanadiferous magnetite ores (iron ore).
- According to the GSI, India consumed 4 per cent of about 84,000 tonnes of vanadium produced across the globe in 2017.
- The largest deposits of vanadium are in China, followed by Russia and South Africa.
- China, which produces 57 per cent of the world’s vanadium, consumed 44 cent of the metal.
(Source: The Hindu)
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