Annual global production
Scandium Oxide
The secret of lightweight, weldable alloysWhat is Scandium Oxide?
In its basic form, scandium oxide is a soft, silvery-white light metal. It mostly occurs as a byproduct in the processing of uranium-bearing ores or other rare earths. Scandium oxide is used wherever particularly hard and simultaneously very light alloys are required. These are used in the construction of lightweight cars and bicycles, as well as in aviation. An alloy of aluminum and scandium oxide “lightens” aircraft by 15 to 20 percent compared to typical market models. In the Chinese automotive industry, aluminum-scandium alloys are increasingly becoming the standard. Europe is currently still hesitant to invest too heavily in scandium oxide, as the rare earth can only be sourced from a few countries of origin. In the long run, the European and thus also the German automotive industry will not be able to do without the light metal if they want to keep up with China.
Anyone who enjoys going to soccer stadiums is already familiar with another effect of scandium oxide: its ability to glow (in floodlights). Last but not least, scandium also does something for the environment.
- Solid oxide fuel cells containing this rare earth reduce the CO2 footprint of the power supply.
Main areas of application
- Floodlight systems
- Lightweight alloys for aircraft, aerospace, and cars
- Solid oxide fuel cells
- Laser cutting tools
- Magnetic data storage
- PC and TV screens
- Solid oxide fuel cells
- Electrolyzers for green hydrogen
- High-temperature superconductors
Facts about Scandium Oxide
Annual global production volume
Renewable energies could increase demand to 72 tons by 2040
Scandium oxide is indispensable for the success of the energy transition, as it is needed for the electrolysis of green hydrogen. Just like platinum, it is used in electrolyzers and is therefore an essential key mineral in hydrogen production. Scandium oxide is also used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and exhibits better conductivity and lower operating temperatures in solid oxide electrolysis (SOEL).
The company Bosch plans to start series production of solid oxide fuel cells from 2024. In several pilot projects, the company has already succeeded in significantly reducing its CO2 emissions. In Salzgitter, the company is making great progress with a project to test a decentralized, environmentally friendly energy supply using solid oxide fuel cells. The fuel elements can be operated with natural gas, biomethane, and in the future, green hydrogen. In this way, they produce electricity and heat in an ecological manner, with an electrical efficiency of 60% and a total efficiency of 85% when the resulting heat is taken into account. Efficiency is a measure of performance and represents the ratio between the electrical and thermal energy generated and the energy of the fuel used.
Global production of scandium is between 20 and 30 tons per year. However, due to the massive expansion of renewable energies, a supply gap of approximately 740% of the 2018 annual production is assumed for the year 2040. Conservative estimates for the demand for scandium oxide for green energy in 2040 range between 34 and 72 tons if both scandium oxide and yttrium are used. The business-as-usual scenario would lead to an annual production of 38 tons in 2030 if the annual increase continues at its current rate.
Mining and extraction
Current places of origin are China, Ukraine, and Russia. There are also massive iron-manganese crusts on the seabed of the Arctic Ocean that contain scandium oxide—a potential source for the future. However, the scandium market is currently still too small to lift these manganese nodules located at water depths of 1,600 to 3,000 meters. This rare earth is found in small quantities in up to 800 minerals. The majority is obtained during the extraction of thortveitite, but also from euxenite, gadolinite, scandium-ixiolite, bazzite, and kolbeckite. Scandium is also often produced as a byproduct of uranium production, for example in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine. In Russia, it is produced from apatite and, as with Rio Tinto’s mining projects in Australia, also during the production of aluminum from red mud during bauxite mining. In the Philippines, scandium oxide is also mined alongside nickel. Most scandium oxide, however, comes from China.
Growth markets
- Floodlight systems
- Aluminum-scandium alloys for lightweight aircraft, cars, and bicycles
- Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)
- Electrolyzers for green hydrogen
- Lasers
- Magnetic data storage (e.g., hard drives)
- PC and TV screens
- Additives in catalysts
Interesting fact:
An international research team has succeeded in using scandium oxide to lay the foundation for a new generation of atomic clocks. Instead of using the resonance of microwave-irradiated cesium or strontium atoms as a pulse generator, as was previously the case, the researchers are relying on the resonance of the atomic nuclei of scandium oxide. Atomic clocks were already accurate to one second in 15 billion years, making them the most precise time-measuring instruments in the world. However, the new scandium clocks represent another massive leap: they are accurate to one second in 300 billion years. So, there is no longer any excuse for chronic latecomers.
