Vanadium slag

Of the constituents of oil ash vanadium is the most troublesome. Vanadium is found in fuel oil in the form of soluble organic complexes.

Under the conditions of fuel oil combustion the organic vanadium is decomposed, and the vanadium is oxidized to V203 and V2O4

Further oxidation yields vanadium pentoxide (V2O5). The melting point of vanadium pentoxide is 1247°F.

The melting point of vanadium trioxide and vanadium tetroxide is 3578°F.

In addition sodium may react with the vanadium compounds forming low melting sodium vanadate slags.

Sodium may also react with sulfur to form low melting sulfur slags such as sodium sulfate.