Jun 6 2002
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Nilson discovered scandium (Sc) in 1876. The material was detected in the minerals gadolinite and euxenite, which were unique to Scandinavia during that time. Scandium was also identical to ekaboron—a material which, according to Mendeleev, was predicted to occur several years earlier.
It was only in 1937 that scandium metal was prepared. During that time, Brunger, Fisher, and Grieneisen managed to separate it from a eutectic mixture of potassium, scandium, and lithium chlorides.
Abundance
Scandium occurs more abundantly in the sun than it does on Earth. It is the 23rd most common element in the sun but ranks only 50th on Earth. Likewise, it is more concentrated in certain stars than on Earth.
Occurrence
Scandium exists in small amounts in approximately 800 different minerals. It is also the major constituent of thortveitite—a rare mineral from Scandinavia and Malagasy. This mineral is the key source of scandium and is most typically generated as uranium mill tailings or as a by-product.
Listed below are other sources of scandium:
- Bazzite
- Wiikite
- Residues from tungsten extracted Zinnwald wolframite
Production
The reduction of scandium fluoride with calcium metal results in the formation of scandium metal.
Key Properties
- It is extremely light
- It is comparatively soft
- Although scandium appears bluish-white in color, it may develop a yellowish to pinkish hue when exposed to air
- Even though scandium reacts instantly with several acids, it does not react with 48% hydrofluoric acid and a 1:1 mixture of concentrated nitric acid
- Its melting point is higher than that of aluminum
Applications
- Scandium oxide is utilized in high-intensity lights
- The radioactive isotope Sc46 is used as a tracing agent in crude oil refinery crackers
- Scandium iodide is used in mercury vapor lamps to achieve high-efficiency lights; such lights are used in night-time color television transmission