Discovery, occurrence and extraction of the first-row transition metal elements

T.M. Discovered or first isolated Main O.S.	Abundance	Major ores / minerals - location	Method of Extraction	~Cost / kg in 2005/2006	US $
Ti Gregor 1791 3,4	6320 ppm 9 th overall 2 nd T.M.	FeTiO3 Ilmenite Canada, Australia. TiO2 Rutile, Australia	In the KROLL process, Rutile or Ilmenite is first treated with Cl2 and the TiCl4 is reduced with Mg under Ar.	TiCl4	90
V del Rio 1801 4,5	136 ppm 19 th overall 5 th T.M.	> 60 minerals eg. PbCl2.3Pb3(VO4)2 Vanadite K(UO2)(VO4)1.5 H2O	Roast the crushed ore, acidify then fuse at 700C. Reduction in electric furnace with Al or Ferrosilicon to give Fe/V alloys.	V2O5	127
Cr Vauquelin 1797 3,6	122 ppm 21 st overall 6 th T.M.	FeCr2O4 Chromite, 96% of the world's reserves are in South Africa.	Ferrochrome produced by reduction of chromite with coke in an electric arc furnace. Cr metal by reduction of Cr2O3.	Cr2O3	38
Mn Gahn 1774 2,7	1060 ppm 12 th overall 3 rd T.M.	> 300 minerals eg. MnO2 Pyrolusite Mn3O4 Hausmannite	Ferromanganese produced by reduction of MnO2 and Fe2O3 with coke in a blast furnace.	MnOAc2	40
Fe Prehistoric 2,3	62000 ppm 4 th overall 1st T.M.	Fe2O3 Haematite Fe3O4 Magnetite FeCO3 Siderite	Reduction of iron ore in a blast furnace 2Fe2O3 + 3C -> 4Fe + 3CO2 actual reducing agent is mainly CO. Steel produced by BOS.	FeSO4 .7H2O	34
Co Brandt 1735 2,3	29 ppm 30 th overall 9 th T.M.	> 200 minerals eg. CoAs2 Smaltite Co3S4 Linnaeite Africa, Canada	Production usually subsidiary to Cu,Ni or Pb. Roast to give "speiss" of mixed metals and oxides. Leach with H2SO4 then treat with OCl-.	CoCl2 .6H2O	122
Ni Cronstedt 1751 2	99 ppm 22 nd overall 7 th T.M.	(Ni,Mg)6Si4O10(OH)8 Laterites (Ni,Fe)9S Sulfides Sudbury, Canada.	Ni and Cu sulfides roasted and mechanically separated. Ni3S2 roasted to oxide use in steel. Pure Ni from MOND process: Ni + 4CO <-> Ni(CO)4.	NiCl2 .6H2O	76
Cu Prehistoric 1,2	68 ppm 25 th overall 8 th T.M.	CuFeS2 Copper Pyrite, (Chalcopyrite), Cu2CO3(OH)2 Malachite	From Cu/Fe sulfide ores: 2Cu2S + 3O2 -> 2Cu2O + 2SO2 2Cu2O + Cu2S -> 6Cu + SO2. Some oxide ores reduced directly with coke. SE/EW.	CuSO4 .5H2O	36