Scandium Oxide

Scandium oxide is a kind of rare earth oxides, which is main application of scandium products. Its physico-chemical properties are very close to other rare earth oxides like La₂O₃, Y₂O₃ and Lu₂O₃. Based on present technology, Sc₂O₃/TREO could be 99.999% at highest. The upstream products are scandium hydroxide and  scandium metal.  It is soluble in hot acid, however insoluble in water.

Scandium Oxide

The appearance is fine white powder of cubic system. It has different expressions like scandium trioxide, scandium(III) oxide and scandium sesquioxide.

Applications

Scandium oxide gets wide applications in many industries due to its special physico-chemical properties.

Sc2O3 is raw material for Al-Sc alloys, which gets uses for vehicle, ships and aerospace. Further it gets more and more civil uses as sport equipment, computer and mobile cover. Considering Aluminum-Scandium alloys are of low density, high strength, high hardness, good plasticity, anti-corrosion and thermostabilization. Their use value are very high. Scandium in alloys is refining grain, which make new phase Al3Sc that get excellent performance. Further There is a series of Al-Sc alloys and other Scandium alloys as Al-Mg-Sc-Zr and Al-Zn-Mg-Sc.

Scandium trioxide is raw material for scandium chloride. Scandium chloride compound with sodium iodide, which is the third photoelectric material. It process into Sc-Na halogen lamp for illumination. Each lamp use 0.1mg~10mg Sc₂O₃.  With high voltage, the spectral line of Sc shows blue and the spectral line of Na shows yellow. Mixture of the two colors is close to sunlight. The lamplight is high brightness, good color, energy-saving, long-life and strong fog permeability.

Scandium(III) oxide is a chemical compound too, which play a role in chemical synthesis.

Prospects

Scandium trioxide add in GGG, which form GGSG. The transmitting power of the third laser made from it enhance three times than laser of same sizes. While preparing monocrystal, 3kg-5kg furance burden need about 1kg Sc₂O₃.

Pure scandium(III) oxide could be as activating agent of oxide cathode, which take good effects.Spraying a 1mm layer of oxides of Ba, Sr and Ca, then dispersing a 0.1mm layer of Sc₂O₃. In oxide layer cathode, Mg and Sr react with Ba, making Ba reduce and the electron released  more active. It emit high current electron and make fluorophor light. Scandium(III) oxide improve four times electric current density than without Sc₂O₃ layer. The TV pictures are more clear and the life of cathode is triple. The cathode get applications in some countries like Japan, which raise the TV sales.