Overview

Scandium is a silvery white transition metal found in trace amounts in rare minerals and often recovered as a byproduct of other mining operations.

Properties

It is lightweight, has good strength to weight ratio in alloys and exhibits typical transition metal chemistry with +3 oxidation state predominating.

Occurrence and Uses

Used in high performance aluminum scandium alloys for aerospace and sporting goods and in metal halide lamps for high intensity lighting.

Isotopes and Safety

Stable isotope Sc 45 is natural; scandium compounds are of low abundance and handled with standard industrial precautions.