Scandium chemical properties. Scandium application

Scandium

SCANDIUM-I; m. Chemical element (Sc), metal gray with high strength and corrosion resistance.

◁ Scandium, oh, oh.

(lat. Scandium), chemical element Group III periodic table, refers to rare earth elements. The name comes from the Scandinavian Peninsula (lat. Scandia), where it was discovered. Density 3.02 g/cm 3 t pl 1541°C. Component of light alloys with high strength and corrosion resistance, catalyst for high-temperature para-ortho-hydrogen conversion, neutron filter in nuclear technology.

SCANDIUM (lat. Scandium, in honor of Scandinavia - the homeland of L.F. Nilsson), Sc (read “scandium”), a chemical element with atomic number 21, atomic mass 44.9559. Natural scandium consists of one stable isotope with mass number 45. Configuration of two outer electronic layers 3s 2 p 6 d 1 4s 2 . Oxidation states +1, +2, +3 (valency I, II, III). Scandium is a rare earth element. Located in group IIIB of the periodic table of elements, in the 4th period. Atomic radius 0.164 nm, Sc 3+ ion radius 0.089 nm ( coordination number 6). Successive ionization energies are 6.562, 12.8, 24.8, 74.2, 93.9 eV. Electronegativity according to Pauling (cm. PAULING Linus) 1,3.
D. I. Mendeleev was the first to suggest the existence of scandium in 1871 (cm. MENDELEEV Dmitry Ivanovich). He proposed the name “ekabor” and described some properties of the new element in the journal of the Russian Chemical Society. (cm. Scandium was discovered in 1879 by the Swedish chemist L. F. Nilsson NILSON Lars Frederik) (cm. when studying ytterbium YTTERBIUM)
. The first sample of pure scandium (above 94%) was obtained in 1937. , The content of scandium in the earth's crust is 1·10 -3% by mass. Sc is a trace element. More than 120 minerals containing Sc are known. The most important intrinsic Sc ​​minerals are bazzite Sc 2 Be 3 Si 6 O 18 and eggonite ScPO 4 ·2H 2 O. Sc is found in small concentrations in river, ground and sea waters. Usually accompanies tungsten
When obtaining scandium, processing wastes W, Sn, Al, Ti and V are treated with acids or alkalis. Further purification of Sc is carried out by extraction methods. For deep purification, Sc is distilled in high vacuum. Metallic Sc ​​is obtained by the method of calcium thermal reduction of scandium fluoride:
2ScF 3 +3Ca=3CaF 2 +2Sc
or its oxide: Sc 2 O 3 +3Ca=3CaO+2Sc
Scandium is a silvery metal with a yellow tint. The a-modification of Sc with a hexagonal lattice like a magnesium lattice is stable up to 1336°C (cm. MAGNESIUM), a = 0.33085 nm, c = 0.52680 nm, density 2.989 kg/dm 3. Above 1336°C, the b-modification with a cubic body-centered lattice is stable. Melting point 1541°C, boiling point 2837°C. Sc is stable in air at room temperature due to the dense protective oxide film Sc 2 O 3 . Intense reaction of Sc with oxygen (cm. OXYGEN) starts at 200-250°C. When Sc 2 O 3 interacts with alkalis and oxides alkaline earth metals scandiates NaScO 2 or CaSc 2 O 4 are formed. Scandium oxide forms mixed oxides 2Sc 2 O 3 ·3ZrO 2.
Scandium reacts with halogens when heated (cm. HALOGEN), hydrogen (cm. HYDROGEN), nitrogen (cm. NITROGEN), gray (cm. SULFUR) and phosphorus (cm. PHOSPHORUS). The oxide Sc 2 O 3 has weakly basic properties; it corresponds to the amorphous base Sc(OH) 3 · nH 2 O, crystalline hydroxide Sc(OH) 3 and ScО(ОН). The properties of scandium hydroxides are similar to aluminum hydroxide. Scandium chloride ScCl 3, nitrate Sc(NO 3) 3, perchlorate Sc(ClO 4) 3, sulfate Sc 2 (SO 4) 3 and some others in aqueous solutions hydrolyzed and released from solutions in the form of hydrates. Scandium is used as an alloying additive. Scandium oxide is used in the production of ferrites (cm. FERRITES), artificial garnets (cm. GRENADES (synthetic)), as a component of ceramic materials. Scandium orthophosphate is the basis of fluorescent compounds.

encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .

See what "scandium" is in other dictionaries:

Cerite and gadolinite metal, from the boron group, was discovered in 1879 by Nilsson. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. scandium (named after the place of discovery scandi(navia)) chemical. element, symbol Sc (lat. scandium) ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (Scandium), Sc, a chemical element of group III of the periodic table, atomic number 21, atomic mass 44.95591, belongs to the rare earth elements; metal, melting point 1541shC. Discovered by the Swedish chemist L. Nilsson in 1879... Modern encyclopedia

- (lat. Scandium) Sc, a chemical element of group III of the periodic system, atomic number 21, atomic mass 44.95591, belongs to the rare earth elements. Named from the Scandinavian Peninsula (lat. Scandia), where it was discovered. Density 3.02 g/cm³, tpl… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (symbol Sc), silvery-white element of group III periodic table, metal. It was predicted (under the name ekabor) by D. MENDELEEV. Discovered in 1879. Occurs in tortveitite and in small quantities in other minerals. Is malleable... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

Sc (from Latin Scandia Scandinavia * a. scandium; n. Skandium; f. scandium; i. escandio), chemical. element of group III periodic. Mendeleev's system; refers to rare earth elements, at.n. 21, at. m. 44.9559. Natural C. is represented by one... ... Geological encyclopedia

SCANDIUM, scandia, pl. no, husband (chem.). A rare metal that does not occur in nature in a free state, but exists only in an oxide, having the form white powder. (From the name of the Scandinavian peninsula.) Ushakov’s explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935… Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Scandium), So, chem. element of group III periodic. systems of elements, at. number 21, at. mass 44.95591, rare earth element. In nature it is represented by one stable nuclide 45Sc. Configurationext. electron shells 3s2p6d14s2.Energy… … Physical encyclopedia

Noun, number of synonyms: 3 metal (86) ekabor (1) element (159) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N... Synonym dictionary

scandium- Sc Chemical element extracted from industrial waste, e.g. uranium [A.S. Goldberg. English-Russian energy dictionary. 2006] Topics energy in general Synonyms Sc EN scandium ... Technical Translator's Guide

Scandium- (Scandium), Sc, a chemical element of group III of the periodic table, atomic number 21, atomic mass 44.95591, belongs to the rare earth elements; metal, melting point 1541°C. Discovered by the Swedish chemist L. Nilsson in 1879. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

SCANDIUM- chem. element, symbol Sc (lat. Scandium), at. n. 21, at. m. 44.96, belongs to rare earth elements; silvery metal with a characteristic yellow tint, density 3020 kg/m3, tmelt = 1541 °C, exhibits fairly high chemical properties. activity. In nature… … Big Polytechnic Encyclopedia

Books

• Inorganic and analytical chemistry of scandium, L. N. Komissarova. The monograph summarizes information about the main groups inorganic compounds scandium (intermetallic compounds, binary oxygen-free compounds, including halides and thiocyanates, complex oxides,...

Being in nature

Geochemistry and Mineralogy

The average content of scandium in the earth's crust is 10 g/t. Close in chemical and physical properties to scandium, yttrium, lanthanum and lanthanides. In all natural compounds, scandium, just like its analogues aluminum, yttrium, lanthanum, exhibits a positive valence of three, therefore it does not take part in redox processes. Scandium is a trace element and is found in many minerals. Actually, 2 scandium minerals are known: tortveitite (Sc, Y) 2 Si 2 O 7 (Sc 2 O 3 up to 53.5%) and sterrettite (kolbeckite Sc 2H 2 O (Sc 2 O 3 up to 39.2%). Relatively small concentrations are found in about 100 minerals.

Due to the fact that the properties of scandium are close to , , , 2+ , 2+ , TR (rare earth elements), , , , , main mass it is dispersed in minerals containing these elements. Isovalent substitution of scandium for elements of the TR group occurs, especially in essentially yttrium minerals (xenotime, Sc - Y association in thorthwaite and substitution of Al in beryl). Heterovalent substitution of Fe2+ and magnesium by scandium in pyroxenes, amphiboles, olivine, and biotite is widespread in mafic and ultramafic rocks, and substitution of zirconium in late stages magmatic process and in pegmatites.

The main mineral carriers of scandium: fluorite (up to 1% Sc 2 O 3), cassiterite (0.005-0.2%), wolframite (0-0.4%), ilmenorutile (0.0015-0.3%), thorianite (0.46% Sc 2 O 3), samarskite (0.45%), viikite (1.17%), xenotime (0.0015-1.5%), beryl (0.2%), bazzite (scandium beryl, 3-14.44%). During the formation of igneous rocks and their vein derivatives, the bulk of scandium is dispersed mainly in dark-colored minerals of igneous rocks and is concentrated to a small extent in individual minerals of post-magmatic formations. The highest (30 g/t Sc 2 O 3) concentrations of scandium are confined to ultrabasic and basic rocks, in which the leading role is played by iron-magnesium minerals (pyroxene, amphibole and biotite). In rocks of average composition, the average content of Sc 2 O 3 is 10 g/t, in acidic rocks - 2 g/t. Here scandium is also dispersed in dark-colored minerals (hornblende, biotite) and is established in muscovite, zircon, and sphene. Concentration in sea water is 0.00004 mg/l.

Place of Birth

The most significant deposits of tortveitite (the mineral most rich in scandium) are located in Madagascar and Norway.

Story

Physical properties

Chemical properties

The chemical properties of scandium are similar to those of aluminum. In most compounds, scandium exhibits an oxidation state of +3. When exposed to air, the compact metal becomes coated on the surface with an oxide film. When heated to red heat, it reacts with fluorine, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus. At room temperature it reacts with chlorine, bromine and iodine. Reacts with diluted strong acids; concentrated oxidizing acids and HF is passivated. Reacts with concentrated alkali solutions.

The Sc 3+ ion is colorless, diamagnetic, coordination number in aqueous solutions is 6. As in the case of aluminum, scandium hydroxide is amphoteric and dissolves in both excess acids and excess alkalis; does not react with a dilute ammonia solution. Scandium chloride, bromide, iodide and sulfate are highly soluble in water, the solution has an acidic reaction due to partial hydrolysis, and the hydration of anhydrous salts is accompanied by rapid release of heat. Scandium fluoride and phosphate are insoluble in water, but fluoride will dissolve in the presence of excess fluoride ions to form ScF 6 3- . Scandium carbide, nitride, phosphide, sulfide and carbonate are completely hydrolyzed by water. Organic compounds scandium is thermally relatively stable, but reacts violently with water and air. They are built mainly using Sc-C σ bonds and are represented by alkyl derivatives and polymeric cyclopentadienides.

Compounds with lower oxidation states of scandium (+2, +1, 0) are also known. One of the simplest - dark blue solid CsScCl3. This substance contains bonds between scandium atoms. Scandium monohydride ScH was observed spectroscopically at high temperatures in the gas phase. Also, lower oxidation states of scandium are found in organometallic compounds. .

Receipt

It should be noted that there are significant resources of scandium in ash hard coals and the problem of developing technology for extracting scandium during the processing of coal into artificial liquid fuel.

World scandium resources

Scandium is a trace lithophile element (element rocks), therefore, for the technology of extraction of this element, it is important to completely extract it from the processed ores, and as the metallurgy of scandium-bearing ores develops, its annual production volume will increase. Below are the main carrier ores and the mass of associated scandium released from them:

• Bauxites - 71 million tons of processing per year, contain associated scandium in the amount of 710-1420 tons;
• Uranium ores - 50 million tons per year, associated scandium 50-500 tons per year;
• Ilmenites - 2 million tons per year, associated scandium 20-40 tons per year;
• Wolframites - associated scandium about 30-70 tons per year;
• Cassiterites - 200 thousand tons per year, associated scandium 20-25 tons per year;
• Zircons - 100 thousand tons per year, associated scandium 5-12 tons per year.

Scandium is present in coal, and its extraction can be achieved by processing blast furnace iron slags, which began in last years in a number of developed countries.

Scandium production and consumption

Scandium (Sc)– rare earth metal, atomic number 21, atomic mass 44.96, melting point 1539°C, density 2.99 g/cm3.
Scandium, the first of three, in ascending atomic number, rare earth metals not lanthanides (scandium, yttrium and lanthanum).
Scandium, one of those predicted by D.I. Mendeleev chemical elements based periodic law, and this, subsequently, was a clear confirmation of the validity of this essential law of nature. Properties of scandium - atomic mass, chemical composition oxides, density, properties of its salts were predicted by D.I. Mendeleev eight years before its discovery in 1888 and were fully confirmed after the discovery and isolation of this element.
There is quite a lot of scandium in the earth's crust (2.2x10-3%), which is close to the lead content in it, but it is highly dispersed, which significantly complicates and increases the cost of its extraction. Scandium is the main component (up to 43%) of only one natural mineral, tortveitite; in other minerals (sterettite, kolbeckite, bolcite) it is contained in a small amount percentage. It is also found in iron and uranium ores, in low-grade coals. Spectroscopic studies have shown significant amounts of it in the composition of some stars.
Scandium metal was obtained in 1914 in very small quantity. Scandium is a light silvery metal, soft, reacts well with acids, weakly oxidizes in air, very brittle, and has paramagnetic properties.

RECEIPT.

Obtaining scandium is a very labor-intensive multi-stage process.
There is a method for obtaining scandium, when scandium hydroxide is first obtained by burning tungsten ore waste, followed by treating it with sulfuric acid, with the addition of water and ammonia. Then the hydroxide is dried, calcined (600-700°C) and scandium oxide with impurities is obtained, which are then removed by dissolving in hydrochloric acid and isolating various fractions. Then, after a complex process of refining and re-calcination, scandium oxide is obtained.
Another method involves converting scandium oxide into fluoride by treating it with hydrogen fluoride. This process is repeated again, with Sc2O3 converting to ScF3 almost completely. Scandium fluoride is then reduced using calcium metal in a neutral atmosphere. After this, the mixture of scandium metal and slag is remelted and separated in a vacuum and then a vacuum distillation process is carried out, after which scandium of 95% content is obtained, which is subsequently complex processes brought to 99%.

APPLICATION.

Metallurgy. Scandium, as a metal with a high melting point, is used in microligatures for the production of refractory alloys. Scandium oxide is used for the manufacture of steel-pouring ladles when casting high-alloy steels. Scandium gives aluminum alloys additional strength. The scandium-46 isotope is used to control processes in metallurgy.

• Rocket and aircraft manufacturing. Scandium is used to create high-strength aluminum structural materials, because alloys alloyed with scandium as part of microligatures have a low density and a high melting point.

• Computer technology. Scandium, in the form of microadditives, is used to create ferrites for computer memory elements.

• Phosphors. Microadditives of scandium in the composition of phosphors increases the efficiency of their glow. It is used in the production of fluorescent lamps, to create screens for electron beam devices, and screens for X-ray machines.

• Glass and ceramic production. Microadditives of scandium in glass and ceramic products give them a high degree of heat resistance and resistance to thermal shock.

• Nuclear energy. Microadditives of scandium into elements of nuclear reactors give them highly effective properties as neutron moderators.

• First of all, it has a rare combination of high heat resistance with lightness. The density of aluminum is 2.7 g/cm3, and the melting point is 660° C. Cubic centimeter scandium weighs 3.0 g, and the melting point of this metal is 1539 ° C. The density of steel varies (depending on the brand) in the range of 7.5-7.9 g/cm3, melting temperatures vary within a fairly wide range (pure steel melts at 1530° C, 9° lower than ).

  Comparison of these the most important characteristics scandium and the two most important metals modern technology clearly in favor of element No. 21. In addition, it has excellent strength characteristics and significant chemical and corrosion resistance.

  Thanks to these properties, it could become an important structural material in aviation and rocketry. In the USA, an attempt was made to produce scandium metal for these purposes, but it became clear that a scandium rocket would be too expensive. Even individual scandium parts greatly increased its cost.

  They tried to find applications for scandium in metallurgy. It was hoped to use it as an alloying additive to cast iron, steel, and titanium-aluminum alloys. In a number of cases, encouraging results were obtained. For example, the addition of 1% scandium increased the strength of the alloy by one and a half times. But even a few percent of metallic scandium made the alloy too expensive...

  This is what containing ferrites look like. To give an idea of ​​their size, the ferrites were photographed next to the coin. The metal ruble, and not the kopeck, was not chosen by chance; it seems to remind us that scandium still remains one of the most expensive metals

  They were looking for applications of scandium both in nuclear technology and in the chemical industry, but in each case, multi-digit prices negated the advantages of element No. 24.

  Since scandium oxide is several times cheaper than pure metal, its use in some cases could be economically justified. This inconspicuous, very ordinary-looking powder did not have advantages as obvious as the metal itself, but...

  Since the mid-60s. scandium oxide is used as a component of ferrites for high-speed memory elements computers some types. Scandium oxide is obtained from the complex processing of bauxite, tin, uranium, tungsten and titanium ores.

  Scandium itself (and those based on it) still remains the metal of the future: good, of course, but too expensive. However, experts do not rule out that in the future this metal will be able to go the same way as in the second half of the 20th century. his neighbor passed by periodic table - .

  APPROVAL OF THE PERIODIC LAW. Mendeleev called scientists who, with their discoveries, confirmed the predictions he made on the basis of the periodic law as “affirmers” and “strengtheners” of the periodic system of elements. First of all, these “titles” were earned by three scientists who discovered in minerals the elements predicted by Mendeleev, ekaaluminium, ecaboron, and ecasilicon.

  The first of the “affirmers” was, as is known, the French chemist Lecoq de Boisbaudran - in 1875 he found eka-aluminum in zinc blende.

  Nilsson was second. Four years after Boisbaudran's discovery, he was lucky enough to discover ecaboron, predicted by Mendeleev, in the mineral auxenite. And seven years later, the German scientist Clemens Winkler first obtained eca-silicon - .

  The Swede Lare Frederik Nilsson, a native of the harsh island of Gotland, was a versatile educated scientist - at Uppsala University he studied chemistry, geology, and biology. In addition to a first-class education and natural talent, two more extremely important circumstances contributed to his success in science - his work in his youth under the leadership of the remarkable Swedish chemist Jens Jakob Berzelius and Mendeleev’s discovery of the periodic law, which armed scientists around the world with a map of the chemical continent.

  Most of all, Nilsson studied rare elements. His greatest achievement, besides the discovery of element No. 21 - scandium, was the establishment in 1884 of the correct atomic weight of beryllium (together with the Swedish chemist O. Peterson).

  For the last 17 years of his life, Nilsop held a professorship at the Stockholm Agricultural Academy. He did a lot to increase the productivity of fields in Sweden and especially on his home island of Gotland.

  SCANDIUM AND PHOSPHORUS. Phosphores (not to be confused with phosphorus) are those that can glow in the dark for quite a long time. One of these substances is zinc sulfide ZnS. If you irradiate it with infrared rays, it begins to glow and glows for a long time after the irradiation stops. It has been established that the addition of scandium to copper-activated zinc sulfide produces a brighter glow than usual. Scandium also increases the glow of other phosphors, in particular magnesium oxide MgO.

  TO KEEP THE AIR CLEANER. The production of plastics, insecticides and solvents releases quite significant

  quantities hydrogen chloride. This poisonous gas, the release of which into the atmosphere is unacceptable.

  Of course, it would be possible to bind it with water and produce hydrochloric acid, but obtaining acid using this method, to put it mildly, would cost a pretty penny. The decomposition of HC1 by electrolysis also required great expenses, although the method of catalytic decomposition of hydrogen chloride was proposed more than 100 years ago. The catalyst was chloride. However, this process was effective only at 430-475° C. And under these conditions, the catalyst evaporates... A solution was found: trace amounts of yttrium, zirconium, thorium, uranium and scandium chlorides were added to the main catalyst - copper chloride. With such a catalyst, the decomposition temperature of hydrogen chloride decreased to 330-400 ° C, and the volatilization of copper chloride became significantly less. The new catalyst lasts much longer than the old one, and the air above chemical plants Reliably purified from harmful hydrogen chloride.

  SCANDIUM AT THE THAMES EMOUTH. Radioactive isotope scandia with atomic mass 46 in 1954-1955. used to determine the movement of silt in the Thames Estuary. Salt containing scandium-46 was mixed with crushed glass and lowered into a container at the sea depot. There the container was opened, and the mixture, the density of which corresponded to the density of the sludge, scattered along the bottom. The radiation was detected from the boat with a special device. Scandium-46 was chosen because it has fairly intense radiation and an ideal half-life for this type of research - 83.9 days. What happened? Most of the mud carried by the Thames into the sea soon returns back to the river bed. I had to develop new technology cleaning the river mouth from sediment. The study of the movement of silt and pebbles in the sea using the scandium isotope was also carried out in Poland and France.

  Atomic radius 162 pm Ionization energy
  (first electron) 630.8 (6.54) kJ/mol (eV) Electronic configuration 3d 1 4s 2 Chemical properties Covalent radius 144 pm Ion radius (+3e) 72.3 pm Electronegativity
  (according to Pauling) 1,36 Electrode potential 0 Oxidation states 3 Thermodynamic properties of a simple substance Density 2.99 g/cm³ Molar heat capacity 25.51 J/(K mol) Thermal conductivity 15.8 W/(m K) Melting temperature 1 814 K Heat of Melting 15.8 kJ/mol Boiling temperature 3 110 K Heat of vaporization 332.7 kJ/mol Molar volume 15.0 cm³/mol Crystal lattice of a simple substance Lattice structure hexagonal (α-Sc) Lattice parameters a=3.309 c=5.268 (α-Sc) Å c/a ratio 1,592 Debye temperature n/a K

  Sc	21
  44,95591
  3d 1 4s 2
  Scandium

  Scandium- element side subgroup third group, fourth period of the periodic system of chemical elements by D.I. Mendeleev, with atomic number 21. Denoted by the symbol Sc (lat. Scandium). The simple substance scandium (CAS number: 7440-20-2) is a light silver metal with a characteristic yellow tint. It exists in two crystalline modifications: α-Sc with a hexagonal magnesium-type lattice, β-Sc with a body-centered cubic lattice, α↔β transition temperature 1336 °C.

  Story

  The element was predicted by D.I. Mendeleev (as eka-boron) and discovered in 1879 by the Swedish chemist Lars Nilsson.

  origin of name

  L. Nilsson named the element in honor of Scandinavia.

  Physical properties

  Scandium is a light silver-colored metal with a characteristic yellow tint. It exists in two crystalline modifications: α-Sc with a hexagonal lattice like magnesium (a=3.3085 Å; c=5.2680 Å; z=2; space group P6 3/mmc), β-Sc with a cubic body-centered lattice, α↔β transition temperature 1336 °C, ΔH transition 4.01 kJ/mol. Melting point 1541 °C, boiling point 2837 °C. Scandium is a soft metal, with a purity of 99.5% or higher (in the absence of O 2) and can be easily machined.

  Chemical properties

  Receipt

  It should be noted that there are significant resources of scandium in coal ash and the problem of developing technology for extracting scandium when processing coal into artificial liquid fuel.

  World scandium resources

  Scandium is a dispersed lithophile element (rock element), therefore, for the extraction technology of this element, it is important to completely extract it from processed ores, and as the metallurgy of scandium-bearing ores develops, its annual production volume will increase. Below are the main carrier ores and the mass of associated scandium released from them:

  • Bauxites - 71 million tons of processing per year, contain associated scandium in the amount of 710-1420 tons;
  • Uranium ores - 50 million tons per year, associated scandium 50-500 tons per year;
  • Ilmenites - 2 million tons per year, associated scandium 20-40 tons per year;
  • Wolframites - associated scandium about 30-70 tons per year;
  • Cassiterites - 200 thousand tons per year, associated scandium 20-25 tons per year;
  • Zircons - 100 thousand tons per year, associated scandium 5-12 tons per year.

  In total, more than a hundred scandium-containing minerals are known; its own minerals (tortveitite, jervisite) are very rare.

  Scandium is present in coal and for its extraction it is possible to process blast furnace iron foundry slags, which has been started in recent years in a number of developed countries.

  Scandium production and consumption

  In 1988, world production of scandium oxide was:

  A country	Production volume, no less kg/year
  China	50
  France	100
  Norway	120
  USA	500
  Japan	30
  Kazakhstan	700
  Ukraine	610
  Russia	958

  It is necessary to take into account the colossal resources of scandium in Russia and the former Soviet Union (data on production is very scattered, but production volumes, according to independent experts, are equal to or exceed official world production). In general, according to independent experts, at present, the main producers of scandium (scandium oxide) are Russia, China, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The volumes of scandium/scandium oxide published in the press in the USA, Japan, France are mostly secondary metal and metal purchased on the world market. IN to a certain extent In the coming years, a significant volume of scandium raw materials is expected from Australia, Canada, and Brazil.

  It should also be noted that reserves of rare earth raw materials in Mongolia containing scandium are also promising source scandium for the scandium industry and the development of scandium metallurgy.

  Scandium can safely be called the metal of the 21st century and a sharp increase in its production, rising prices and demand due to processing can be predicted huge amount hard coals (especially processing of Russian hard coals), for liquid fuel. Over the past five years, prices for metal scandium on the world market have fluctuated from 12 to 20 thousand dollars per kg (from time to time there have been sharp jumps in prices for scandium and its oxide, which are hardly explainable from the point of view of experts, for example in 1991, according to Gorny US Bureau, scandium oxide was estimated at $3,500/kg (99.9%), $10,000/kg (99.999%), metal powder 250 microns (distillate 99.9%) - $296,000/kg, pieces of dendrites ( 99.9%) - $248,000/kg), depending on the purity of the metal, and scandium oxide averages $3,500/kg).

  Application

  Scandium is a monoisotopic element and is 100% composed of scandium-45 atoms.

  Metallurgy

  The use of scandium in the form of a microalloying impurity has a significant effect on a number of practically important alloys, for example, the addition of 0.4% scandium to aluminum-magnesium alloys increases the tensile strength by 35%, and the yield strength by 65-84%, and at the same time the relative elongation remains at the level of 20-27%. The addition of 0.3–0.67% to chromium increases its resistance to oxidation up to a temperature of 1290°C, and has a similar but even more pronounced effect on heat-resistant alloys such as “nichrome” and in this area the use of scandium is much more effective than yttrium . Scandium oxide has a number of advantages over other oxides for the production of high-temperature ceramics, since the strength of scandium oxide increases when heated and reaches a maximum at 1030 °C, while at the same time scandium oxide has minimal thermal conductivity and the highest resistance to thermal shock. Yttrium scandate is one of the best materials for structures operating at high temperatures. A certain amount of scandium oxide is constantly consumed for the production of germanate glasses for optoelectronics.

  Scandium alloys

  The main application of scandium in terms of volume is its use in aluminum-scandium alloys used in sports equipment (motorcycles, baseball bats, etc.) - wherever high-strength materials are required. When alloyed with aluminum, scandium provides additional strength and malleability. The tensile strength of pure scandium is about 400 MPa (40 kg/mm), for titanium, for example, 250-350 MPa, and for unalloyed yttrium 300 MPa. The use of scandium alloys in aviation and rocketry will significantly reduce the cost of transportation and dramatically increase the reliability of operating systems, while at the same time, with a decrease in prices for scandium and its use for the production of automobile engines, it will also significantly increase their service life and partially their efficiency. It is also very important that scandium strengthens aluminum alloys doped with hafnium. An important and practically unexplored area of ​​​​application of scandium is the fact that, like alloying aluminum with yttrium, alloying pure aluminum with scandium also increases the electrical conductivity of wires and has a sharp strengthening effect great prospects for the use of such an alloy for the transmission of electricity (power lines). Scandium alloys are the most promising materials in the production of guided missiles. A number of special scandium alloys and scandium bond composites are very promising in the field of designing the skeleton of cyborgs. In recent years, the important role of scandium (and partly yttrium and lutetium) has been revealed in the production of some super-strong maraging steels, some samples of which have shown strength of over 700 kg/mm ​​(over 7000 MPa

  Superhard materials

  Scandium is used to produce superhard materials. For example, alloying titanium carbide with scandium carbide very sharply increases the microhardness (2 times), which makes this new material fourth in hardness after diamond (about 98.7 - 120 GPa), boron nitride (borazon), (about 77-87 GPa), boron-carbon-silicon alloy (about 68-77 GPa), and significantly more than boron carbide (43.2 - 52 GPa), silicon carbide (37 GPa), the microhardness of the alloy of scandium carbide and titanium carbide is about 53.4 GPa (for titanium carbide, for example, 29.5 GPa). Particularly interesting are alloys of scandium with beryllium, which have unique characteristics in terms of strength and heat resistance.

  For example, scandium beryllide (1 scandium atom and 13 beryllium atoms) has the highest favorable combination of density, strength and high melting point, and can be the best material for the construction of aerospace technology, surpassing in this respect the best alloys from known to mankind based on titanium, and a number of composite materials (including a number of materials based on carbon and boron filaments).

  Microelectronics

  Scandium oxide (melting point 2450°C) has vital role in the production of supercomputers: low-induction ferrites, when used in information storage devices, make it possible to increase the data exchange speed several times due to the reduction residual induction from 2 - 3 KGauss to 0.8 - 1 KGauss.)

  Sources of light

  About 80 kg of scandium (composed of Sc 2 O 3) per year is used for the production of high-intensity lighting elements. Scandium iodide is added to mercury gas lamps, producing very realistic sources of artificial light close to the sun, which provide good color rendition when filmed on a television camera.

  Scandium isotopes

  The radioactive isotope Sc-46 (half-life 83.83 days) is used as a “tag” in the oil refining industry, to control metallurgical processes, and to treat cancer.

  The isotope scandium-47 (half-life 3.35 days) is one of the best sources of positrons.

  Nuclear energy

  The nuclear industry successfully uses scandium hydride and deuteride - an excellent neutron moderator, and a target (booster) in powerful and compact neutron generators.

  Scandium diboride (melting point 2250 °C) is used as a component of heat-resistant alloys, as well as a cathode material electronic devices. In the nuclear industry, scandium beryllide is used as a neutron reflector, and in particular this material, as well as yttrium beryllide, has been proposed as a neutron reflector in the design of an atomic bomb.

  Medicine

  Scandium oxide can play an important role in medicine (high-quality dentures).

  Laser materials

  High-temperature superconductivity, production of laser materials (HSGG). Gallium-scandium-gadolinium garnet, when doped with chromium and neodymium ions, made it possible to obtain 4.5% efficiency and record parameters in the frequency mode of ultrashort pulse generation, which provides very optimistic prerequisites for the creation of ultra-powerful laser systems for producing thermonuclear microexplosions based on pure deuterium ( inertial fusion) in the very near future. For example, it is expected that in the next 10-13 years, laser materials based on GSGG and scandium borates will take a leading role in the development and equipping of laser active defense systems for airplanes and helicopters in developed countries, and in parallel with this, the development of large-scale thermonuclear energy using helium-3 (mined on the Moon), in mixtures with helium-3, a laser thermonuclear micro-explosion has already been obtained.

  Production of solar panels

  Scandium oxide alloyed with holmium oxide is used in the production of silicon-based photoconverters as a coating. This coating has a wide range of transparency (400-930 nm), and reduces the spectral reflectance of light from silicon to 1-4%, and when used in such a modified photocell, the short-circuit current increases by 35-70%, which in turn allows increase the output power of photoconverters by 1.4 times.

  MHD generators

  Scandium chromite is used as one of the best and most durable materials for the manufacture of electrodes of MHD generators; pre-oxidized chromium is added to the main ceramic mass and sintered, which gives the material increased strength and electrical conductivity. Along with zirconium dioxide as an electrode material for MHD generators, scandium chromite has a higher resistance to erosion by cesium compounds (used as a plasma-forming additive).

  X-ray mirrors

  Scandium is widely used for the production of multilayer X-ray mirrors (compositions: scandium-tungsten, scandium-chromium, scandium-molybdenum). Scandium telluride is a very promising material for the production of thermoelements (high thermal emf, 255 μV/K and low density and high strength).

  In recent years, refractory alloys (intermetallic compounds) of scandium with rhenium (melting point up to 2575 °C), ruthenium (melting point up to 1840 °C), iron (melting point up to 1600 °C), ( heat resistance, moderate density, etc.).

  Fireproof materials

  Scandium oxide (melting point 2450 °C) plays an important role as a special-purpose refractory material in the production of steel-pouring nozzles for casting high-alloy steels. In terms of resistance in a liquid metal flow, scandium oxide surpasses all known and used materials (for example, the most stable yttrium oxide is inferior in 8.5 times scandium oxide) and can be said to be irreplaceable in this area. Its widespread use is hampered only by its very high price, and to a certain extent, an alternative solution in this area is the use of yttrium scandates reinforced with whiskers of aluminum oxide to increase strength), as well as the use of scandium tantalate.

  Production of cubic zirconia

  Scandium oxide plays an important role in the production of cubic zirconia, where it is the best stabilizer.

  A certain amount of scandium is used to alloy heat-resistant alloys of nickel with chromium and iron (nichrome and fechral) to dramatically increase service life when used as a heating winding for resistance furnaces.

  Phosphors

  Scandium borate, as well as yttrium borate, is used in the electronics industry as a matrix for phosphors.