The Vanadium Corporation of America (VCA) was a commercial producer of vanadium, a transition metal and a strengthening additive for steel. Founded in 1906 by Joseph Flannery, it was headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company operated several vanadium mines in multiple countries, including the Mira Ragra mine in Peru. The raw material was converted into a ferroalloy at its plant in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. Vanadium steel parts were in strong demand throughout the automobile industry during this period. Through numerous mergers and name changes since the 1960s, in 2016 VCA became AMG Vanadium LLC. (AMG: Advanced Metallurgical Group)
Vanadium compounds occur naturally in about sixty-five different minerals. Vanadium is mined mostly in South Africa, north-western China, and eastern Russia. Being ubiquitously distributed in soil, crude oil, water, and air, vanadium also found roles in biological systems and is an essential element in most living beings. Being a biologically relevant element, many vanadium-based therapeutic drugs have been proposed for the treatment of several types of diseases. Namely, vanadium compounds, in particular organic derivatives, have been proposed for the treatment of diabetes, cancer and diseases caused by parasites.
Above: The health benefits of injected olive oil? Rather, Vanadium's 1960 proposal for a "big gun against cancer," illustrated by Jo Kotula (1910-98).
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