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Catalysts

Vanadium compounds are used extensively as catalysts; Vanadium pentoxide V O, is used as a catalyst in manufacturing sulfuric acid by the contact process In this process sulfur dioxide (SO) is oxidized to the trioxide (SO): In this redox reaction, sulfur is oxidized from +4 to +6, and vanadium is reduced from +5 to +4:

The catalyst is regenerated by oxidation with air:

Similar oxidations are used in the production of maleic anhydride:

Phthalic anhydride and several other bulk organic compounds are produced similarly. These green chemistry processes convert inexpensive feedstocks to highly functionalized, versatile intermediates.

Vanadium is an important component of mixed metal oxide catalysts used in the oxidation of propane and propylene to acrolein, acrylic acid or the ammoxidation of propylene to acrylonitrile.