Why is vanadium usually produced as a by-product of other mined ores?

Vanadium is rarely mined as a primary product because it is typically found in igneous rocks in a relatively insoluble trivalent state, where it substitutes for ferric iron in minerals such as magnetite (an iron ore), ilmenite (a titanium ore), and chromite. Because these deposits are primarily extracted for their iron, titanium, or chromium content, vanadium is recovered as a by-product of those mining operations.1

Additionally, vanadium is often sourced from secondary materials, including ash from fossil fuel combustion, slag from phosphate ore, bauxite, and spent catalysts. Due to its status as a by-product, the methods used to mine vanadium are specific to the primary ores with which it is associated.1