Vanadium in high speed steels

The effects of Vanadium refines grain size, increases hardenability, fracture toughness, and resistance to shock loading. Softening at high temperatures, fatigue stress and wear resistance are improved. At greater than 0.05%, there may be a tendency for the steel to become embrittled during thermal stress relief treatments.
Vanadium is used in nitriding, heat resisting, tool and spring steels together with other alloying elements.