Vanadium is used principally as an additive in steel, to which it imparts greater resistance to wear and increased strength at high temperatures. Such steels are important in the making of tools and springs.
Niobium and tantalum are of lesser importance, but have a variety of uses. Niobium is used in the production of stainless steels which perform well at high temperatures, and tantalum, which forms a protective oxide-layer, and is extremely resistant to corrosion, is used as a construction material by the chemical industry. Its failure to react with body fluids makes it valuable in the repair of bones. Niobium has been used in pipelines.
