Scandium

Scandium — rare earth light metal in silver with yellow tint. It mined from over 100 ores, but today metal also obtained from coal, which processed in blast-furnace cast iron slag.

General characteristics

Scandium metal is monoisotopic chemical element that contains only one stable isotope — scandium-45. Scandium characteristics:

• It enters into chemical reaction with boron and silicon upon reaching temperature above 1000 °C;
• Melting point 1539 °C;
• Boiling point occurs at 2727 °C;
• Metal is characterized by fragility, lightness and weak paramagnetism;
• Good electrical conductivity, etc.

By its properties, scandium is close to magnesium, calcium and other rare-earth metals, through which it is not uncommon to replace them in alloys.

Application area

Among the applications of scandium and scandium alloys can be distinguished:

• Metallurgy;
• Sports equipment (bicycles, bats for baseball, etc.);
• Car engines;
• Materials for transporting electrical energy;
• Control military shells;
• Materials for creating exoskeletons of cybernetic robots;
• Aerospace engineering;
• Microelectronics;
• Lighting systems (including solar panels), etc.

In addition to these areas of use, metal is also used in such modern fields as nuclear energy, laser devices, X-ray mirrors and refractory materials.

Steel grades

Of the most used alloys of scandium emit:

It is used in most cases, while in various industries.