Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium

Scandium possesses unique physical and chemical properties. However, its applications are limited to special/minor fields because of its small production volume and high production cost. While the abundance of scandium in the Earth's crust is not scarce, there are no concentrated ore deposi...

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Main Authors: Osamu TAKEDA, Toru H. OKABE
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Mining and Materials Processing Institute of Japan 2021-03-01
Series:Journal of MMIJ
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/journalofmmij/137/3/137_36/_pdf/-char/en
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author Osamu TAKEDA
Toru H. OKABE
author_facet Osamu TAKEDA
Toru H. OKABE
author_sort Osamu TAKEDA
collection DOAJ
description Scandium possesses unique physical and chemical properties. However, its applications are limited to special/minor fields because of its small production volume and high production cost. While the abundance of scandium in the Earth's crust is not scarce, there are no concentrated ore deposits that are commercially available. Historically, scandium was extracted as a byproduct of uranium and rare earth deposits, and smelted in a small scale. In this review, the characteristics and applications of scandium are briefly introduced. Further, the natural sources of scandium and its current resource developments are discussed. Recent technological developments in the hydrometallurgical process of nickel smelting and the resource potential of scandium from lateritic nickel deposits are also explored. With respect to the production of scandium metal, the development of reduction processes including the electrolytic and the metallothermic reactions is discussed. Finally, the reduction processes for the direct production of aluminum-scandium master alloys are also reviewed.
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spelling doaj.art-a685426d7f21460b8ab362df8466bc4d2023-08-10T09:18:37ZengThe Mining and Materials Processing Institute of JapanJournal of MMIJ1881-61181884-04502021-03-011373364410.2473/journalofmmij.137.36journalofmmijCurrent Status on Resource and Production Technologies of ScandiumOsamu TAKEDA0Toru H. OKABE1Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku UniversityInstitute of Industrial Science, The University of TokyoScandium possesses unique physical and chemical properties. However, its applications are limited to special/minor fields because of its small production volume and high production cost. While the abundance of scandium in the Earth's crust is not scarce, there are no concentrated ore deposits that are commercially available. Historically, scandium was extracted as a byproduct of uranium and rare earth deposits, and smelted in a small scale. In this review, the characteristics and applications of scandium are briefly introduced. Further, the natural sources of scandium and its current resource developments are discussed. Recent technological developments in the hydrometallurgical process of nickel smelting and the resource potential of scandium from lateritic nickel deposits are also explored. With respect to the production of scandium metal, the development of reduction processes including the electrolytic and the metallothermic reactions is discussed. Finally, the reduction processes for the direct production of aluminum-scandium master alloys are also reviewed.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/journalofmmij/137/3/137_36/_pdf/-char/enscandiumresourceextractionreductionproduction technologies
spellingShingle Osamu TAKEDA
Toru H. OKABE
Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium
Journal of MMIJ
scandium
resource
extraction
reduction
production technologies
title Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium
title_full Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium
title_fullStr Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium
title_full_unstemmed Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium
title_short Current Status on Resource and Production Technologies of Scandium
title_sort current status on resource and production technologies of scandium
topic scandium
resource
extraction
reduction
production technologies
url https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/journalofmmij/137/3/137_36/_pdf/-char/en
work_keys_str_mv AT osamutakeda currentstatusonresourceandproductiontechnologiesofscandium
AT toruhokabe currentstatusonresourceandproductiontechnologiesofscandium