Scandium and Scandium Alloys

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Scandium and Scandium Alloys

• James Addison
• MEEN 3344 Introduction to Material Science
• Fall 2008

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Scandium (Sc)

• Scandium is Latin for Scandinavia, where it was
  first discovered in 1869
• Scandium is a rare, hard, silvery, rough, very
  dark metallic element that develops a slightly
  yellowish or pinkish tint when exposed to air
• First prepared in its metallic form in 1937

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Applications
Night Guard Features Strong, Lightweight
Scandium Alloy Frames

• Mainly used in aluminum alloys for
• Aerospace components
• Sports equipment (bikes, golf clubs, bats,
  firearms)
• Also used in high intensity lights
• Scandium Iodide added to mercury vapor lamps for
  TV cameras
• Some types of light bulbs

According to http//www.scandium.org, scandium
provides the highest increment of strengthening
per atomic percent of any alloying element when
added to aluminum
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Why Use Scandium?

• Titanium is similar in weight and strength and is
  much more common (cheaper) than scandium.
• When added to aluminum, scandium lowers the rate
  of recrystallization and grain-growth in weld
  heat-affected zones.
• Scandium does increase an aluminum alloy strength
  somewhat, but is primarily added for the benefit
  of stronger welds.
• Scandium-aluminum alloys originally used on
  Russian submarine-launched ballistic missiles
• Made strong missile nose cones and strong tail
  fin welds enabling missiles to pierce arctic ice
  caps when launched from below the surface

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Material Cost
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• Thank you for your time
• Any Questions?
• References
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandium
• http//www.scandium.org/index.html
• http//www.supercrossbmx.com/RD-03Scandium.pdf
• http//www.smith-wesson.com