Scandium is a fascinating chemical element! It has the symbol Sc and the atomic number 21. Imagine a shiny, silvery-white metal. That's scandium! Scientists often group it with other special elements called rare-earth elements. It was first found in 1879 by studying rocks from Scandinavia.

Even though scandium is found in many places, it's hard to get a lot of it. This is because it's spread out in tiny amounts. For a long time, people didn't know what to do with scandium. But in the 1970s, they discovered it could make aluminum alloys much stronger. Today, this is its most important use. The world trades about 15–20 tons of scandium oxide each year.

What is Scandium?
How Scandium is Made
The Story of Scandium's Discovery
Amazing Uses for Scandium
Keeping Safe with Scandium
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See also

What is Scandium?

How Scandium Behaves

Scandium is a soft metal with a silvery look. When it touches air, it can turn a little yellowish or pinkish. It slowly dissolves in most weak acids. If you heat scandium in the air, it burns with a bright yellow flame. This creates scandium oxide.

Scandium's Isotopes

Every element has different versions called isotopes. Scandium found in nature is always the same type, called ⁴⁵Sc. This is its only stable form. Scientists have also created other types of scandium in labs. These are radioactive and don't last very long.

Where Scandium is Found

Scandium isn't super rare in Earth's crust. It's about as common as cobalt. However, it's usually found in very small amounts, scattered in many different minerals. The best places to find concentrated scandium are in rare minerals from Scandinavia and Madagascar. These minerals can also contain other rare-earth elements. For example, a mineral called thortveitite can have a lot of scandium oxide.

Scandium is also made in space! It forms during huge star explosions called supernovae. It's also created when cosmic rays hit heavier elements like iron.

How Scandium is Made

About 15 to 20 tons of scandium oxide are produced worldwide each year. The demand for it is growing! In 2003, only a few mines produced scandium, mainly in Ukraine, China, and Russia. Since then, other countries have started producing it. For example, the Philippines now produces several tons of scandium oxide annually.

In the United States, a company called NioCorp Development aimed to open a mine in Nebraska. This mine could produce a significant amount of scandium oxide each year. Scandium is usually a byproduct when other elements are mined. It is then sold as scandium oxide.

To get pure metallic scandium, the oxide is first changed into scandium fluoride. Then, it's mixed with metallic calcium to separate the scandium.

Sc
2O
3 + 6HF → 2ScF
3 + 3H
2O
2ScF
3 + 3Ca → 3CaF
2 + 2Sc

Some minerals, like thortveitite, have a very high scandium content. However, these deposits are not currently being mined.

The Story of Scandium's Discovery

The idea of scandium first came from Dmitri Mendeleev, the "father" of the periodic table. In 1869, he predicted there was an unknown element he called "ekaboron." He even guessed its weight!

Ten years later, in 1879, a scientist named Lars Fredrik Nilson and his team found this element. They discovered it in minerals from Scandinavia. Nilson prepared a small amount of very pure scandium oxide. He named the new element "scandium" after Scandinavia. Interestingly, Nilson didn't know about Mendeleev's prediction at first. But another scientist, Per Teodor Cleve, realized they had found Mendeleev's missing element!

Pure scandium metal was first made in 1937. It was a difficult process using electricity. By 1960, scientists were able to produce a pound of 99% pure scandium. Its use in aluminum alloys started in 1971.

Amazing Uses for Scandium

Making Stronger Metals

Parts of the MiG-29 are made from Al-Sc alloy.

The most common use for scandium is in aluminum alloys. These special alloys are used for small parts in the aerospace industry, like in airplanes. They usually contain a tiny amount of scandium, between 0.1% and 0.5%. These alloys were even used in Russian military aircraft, such as the MiG-29.

Adding scandium to aluminum makes the metal much stronger. It also makes it more resistant to heat when welded. This happens because scandium helps create tiny, strong crystals within the aluminum. This makes the metal tougher and prevents it from breaking easily.

Scandium-aluminum alloys are also used in sports equipment. This is because lightness and strength are very important. Examples include baseball bats, tent poles, bicycle frames, and Lacrosse sticks. Even some Smith & Wesson firearms use scandium alloys for their frames!

Since 2013, a company called Apworks GmbH, which came from Airbus, has been selling a very strong scandium-containing aluminum alloy. This alloy is made using 3D printing and is known as Scalmalloy. It is known for its very high strength and flexibility.

Bright Lights and Lasers

Scandium is also used in special light bulbs called metal-halide lamps. These lamps create a bright, white light that looks a lot like natural sunlight. This makes them great for places where good color reproduction is needed, like for TV cameras. About 80 kilograms of scandium are used in these lamps worldwide every year.

Dentists also use lasers that contain scandium. These lasers help them prepare cavities and perform other dental procedures.

Other Cool Uses

A radioactive isotope of scandium, called ⁴⁶Sc, is used in oil refineries. It acts as a tracing agent to help track liquids and processes.

Scandium is also being considered for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). These are devices that turn fuel into electricity very efficiently. Adding scandium oxide to the fuel cell's materials can make them work better and last longer. This is important for developing clean energy technologies.

Keeping Safe with Scandium

Pure scandium metal is not considered harmful. However, scientists haven't done many tests on scandium compounds with animals. Studies on rats showed that certain scandium compounds should be handled carefully. This is because they can be moderately toxic. It's always important to handle any chemical compounds safely and with care.

Scandium facts for kids

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