Abstract

Vanadium nitride, prepared by carbonitrothermic reduction of a V₂O₅ + C mixture at a temperature of 1500 °C under continuous nitrogen flow, was thermally decomposed to metallic vanadium. The extent of removal of nitrogen from VN was found to depend upon temperature, time and reduced pressure. A portion of the residual oxygen and carbon, present in VN, was also removed, in the form of CO, during denitrogenation. The optimum decomposition temperature, time and pressure were 1750 °C, 1 h and 0.05 Pa for a charge of 500 g. The vanadium, obtained at the end of the pyrovacuum heating, is suitable for catalytic applications in industrial processes.