Editing Scandium (section)

==Production==
The world production of scandium is in the order of 15–20 tonnes per year, in the form of [[scandium oxide]]. The demand is slightly higher,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Phoung |first1=Sinoun |last2=Williams |first2=Eric |last3=Gaustad |first3=Gabrielle |last4=Gupta |first4=Ajay |date=2023-05-15 |title=Exploring global supply and demand of scandium oxide in 2030 |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |language=en |volume=401 |pages=136673 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136673 |s2cid=257338829 |issn=0959-6526|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023JCPro.40136673P }}</ref> and both the production and demand keep increasing. In 2003, only three mines produced scandium: the uranium and [[iron]] mines in [[Zhovti Vody]] in Ukraine, the rare-earth mines in [[Bayan Obo]], China, and the apatite mines in the [[Kola Peninsula]], Russia.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Since then, many other countries have built scandium-producing facilities, including 5 tonnes/year (7.5 tonnes/year {{chem2|Sc2O3}}) by [[Nickel Asia Corporation]] and [[Sumitomo Metal Mining]] in the Philippines.<ref name="SMMPressRelease">{{cite web|url=http://www.smm.co.jp/E/news/release/uploaded_files/20160428en.pdf|title=Establishment of Scandium Recovery Operations|access-date=2018-10-26}}</ref><ref name="SMMAbstract">{{cite web|url=http://www.programmaster.org/PM/PM.nsf/ApprovedAbstracts/3D8E40595EA68C5C852581330004CB19?OpenDocument|publisher=TMS|first=Fumio|last=Iwamoto|title=Commercial Scandium Oxide Production by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.|access-date=2018-10-26|archive-date=2021-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227054756/http://www.programmaster.org/PM/PM.nsf/ApprovedAbstracts/3D8E40595EA68C5C852581330004CB19?OpenDocument|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
In the United States, NioCorp Development hopes{{when|date=February 2020}} to raise $1 billion<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.niocorp.com/niocorp-announces-final-closing-of-non-brokered-private-placement-for-aggregate-gross-proceeds-of-c1-77-million/ | title=NioCorp Announces Final Closing of Non-Brokered Private Placement for Aggregate Gross Proceeds of C$1.77 Million | access-date=2019-05-18}}</ref> toward opening a niobium mine at its Elk Creek site in southeast [[Nebraska]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.omaha.com/money/long-discussed-niobium-mine-in-southeast-nebraska-is-ready-to/article_33913f7a-93fa-11e7-9144-8f1cad9c36eb.html|title=Long-discussed niobium mine in southeast Nebraska is ready to move forward, if it gathers $1 billion in financing |access-date=2019-05-18|last1=Hammel|first1=Paul|date=8 September 2017|website=Omaha World-Herald}}</ref> which may be able to produce as much as 95 tonnes of scandium oxide annually.<ref>{{citation |url=http://niocorp.com/wp-content/uploads/NIoCorp_Corporate_Presentation.pdf |title=NioCorp Superalloy Materials The Elk Creek Superalloy Materials Project |access-date=2019-05-18 |archive-date=2021-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819204036/http://niocorp.com/wp-content/uploads/NIoCorp_Corporate_Presentation.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> In each case, scandium is a byproduct of the extraction of other elements and is sold as scandium oxide.<ref name="Deschamps">{{cite web|first= Y.|last= Deschamps|access-date= 2008-10-21|url= http://www.mineralinfo.org/Substance/Scandium/Sc.pdf|publisher= mineralinfo.com|title= Scandium|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120324033608/http://www.mineralinfo.org/Substance/Scandium/Sc.pdf|archive-date= 2012-03-24}}</ref><ref name="USGS2015">{{cite web|url= http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/scandium/mcs-2015-scand.pdf|publisher= United States Geological Survey |title= Mineral Commodity Summaries 2015: Scandium}}</ref><ref name="usgs">[http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/scandium/ Scandium]. USGS.</ref>

To produce metallic scandium, the oxide is converted to [[scandium fluoride]] and then [[redox|reduced]] with metallic [[calcium]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fujii |first1=Satoshi |last2=Tsubaki |first2=Shuntaro |last3=Inazu |first3=Naomi |last4=Suzuki |first4=Eiichi |last5=Wada |first5=Yuji |date=2017-09-27 |title=Smelting of Scandium by Microwave Irradiation |journal=Materials |language=en |volume=10 |issue=10 |pages=1138 |doi=10.3390/ma10101138 |issn=1996-1944 |pmc=5666944 |pmid=28953241|bibcode=2017Mate...10.1138F |doi-access=free }}</ref>

* {{Chem2|Sc2O3 + 6HF -> 2ScF3 + 3H2O}}
* {{Chem2|2ScF3 + 3Ca -> 3CaF2 + 2Sc}}

[[Madagascar]] and the [[Iveland]]-[[Evje]] region in Norway have the only deposits of minerals with high scandium content, [[thortveitite]] {{chem2|(Sc,Y)2(Si2O7}}), but these are not being exploited.<ref name="USGS2015" /> The mineral [[kolbeckite]] {{chem2|ScPO4*2H2O}} has a very high scandium content but is not available in any larger deposits.<ref name="USGS2015" />

The absence of reliable, secure, stable, long-term production has limited the commercial applications of scandium. Despite this low level of use, scandium offers significant benefits. Particularly promising is the strengthening of aluminium alloys with as little as 0.5% scandium.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zakharov |first=V. V. |date=2014-09-01 |title=Combined Alloying of Aluminum Alloys with Scandium and Zirconium |journal=Metal Science and Heat Treatment |language=en |volume=56 |issue=5 |pages=281–286 |doi=10.1007/s11041-014-9746-5 |bibcode=2014MSHT...56..281Z |s2cid=135839152 |issn=1573-8973}}</ref> Scandium-stabilized zirconia enjoys a growing market demand for use as a high-efficiency [[electrolyte]] in [[solid oxide fuel cell]]s.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

The [[USGS]] reports that, from 2015 to 2019 in the US, the price of small quantities of scandium ingot has been $107 to $134 per gram, and that of scandium oxide $4 to $5 per gram.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/mineral-commodity-summaries |title=Mineral Commodity Summaries |publisher=USGS |access-date=2020-09-13 }}</ref>