How do oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon affect vanadium at high temperatures?

Vanadium is highly reactive toward oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon at elevated temperatures, which makes the preparation of very pure vanadium metal difficult.1

When exposed to these elements at high temperatures, the metal is prone to picking up interstitial impurities. Specifically, vanadium oxidizes readily at temperatures above 663 °C (1,225 °F). While the pure metal is soft and ductile, its high reactivity with these nonmetals necessitates careful processing conditions to maintain purity.21

In the context of steel production, however, this reactivity is utilized intentionally: vanadium combines with carbon to form carbides, which helps refine the grain of the steel matrix and contributes to the material's strength, hardness, and resistance to shock.12