Vanadium pentoxide is a commercially important catalyst for the production of sulfuric acid, a reaction that exploits the ability of vanadium oxides to undergo redox reactions.
The most important industrial vanadium compound, vanadium pentoxide, is used as a catalyst for the production of sulfuric acid. The vanadium redox battery for energy storage may be an important application in the future.
Vanadium is transition metal and it easily changes from one oxidation state to another. It can form unstable intermediates in one oxidation state and then readily changes into products by acquiring another stable oxidation state and thus providing new path to reaction.
Vanadium pentoxide is used in different, industrial processes as catalyst: In the contact process it serves for the oxidation of SO2 to SO3 with oxygen at 440°C. Besides it is used in the oxidation of ethanol to ethanale and in the production of phthalic anydride, polyamide, oxalic acid and further products.