especially so with Scandium.THE SCANDIUM OPPORTUNITYThe gods of...

especially so with Scandium.

THE SCANDIUM OPPORTUNITY

The gods of geology have been quite kind to Australia generally and it seems that with scandium particularly so, says Brian Wawn, principle of Project Monitor, a research organisation with a focus on mining projects and operating mines.

Recent developments in Australia are a game changer for scandium. Scandium is a silvery rare earth element. To be fair not that rare, its occurrence in crustal rocks is around 22 parts per million (ppm). But it is widely dispersed. Scandium rarely concentrates in nature and concentrations over 100 ppm are hard to come by. Few unprecedentedly large, high-grade scandium deposits have recently been discovered in New South Wales and Queensland. These deposits are estimated to be over 330ppm.

Scandium has several applications, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells ("SOFCs") currently being the primary one. SOFCs convert a fuel source (typically natural gas) and oxygen into electricity, water, carbone dioxide, and heat. SOFCs use a hard ceramic material as a solid electrolyte between an anode and a cathode, which, when subjected to high temperatures, catalyses the conversion of natural gas energy. Scandium exhibits exceptional electrical conductivity and heat stabilization qualities and in the absence of it, the elevated temperatures quickly degrade the electrolyte. Besides this, demand for high performance materials has also spurred the development of commercial applications for scandium, including more recently in 3-D printing, we will come back to that.

The largest among potential applications is the incorporation of scandium into transportation applications, primarily aircraft and automotive. Small additions of scandium can give aluminum a strength approaching titanium and steels alloys without the weight.

And this is what got Friedland particularly excited. As dictated by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN-based agency that sets global standards for the airline industry, new aircraft will need to achieve a 4% average reduction in fuel consumption by 2028 compared to 2015 levels. Aluminum is increasingly incorporated to meet fuel efficiency requirements.

Scandium alloy can enable an even greater use for aluminum, as it increases strength, heat tolerance and perhaps most importantly enables stronger welding. Aircraft designers believe that the use of Al-Sc alloys can reduce aircraft weights by 15%-20%. Simply put, lower weight means less fuel consumption. Scandium refines the crystal structure of aluminum to the point where the alloyed metal can be welded without loss in strength, as well as delivering other benefits (improved corrosion resistance, higher thermal conductivity etc).

Research Robert Friedland.............I am not cross promoting by the way. Just some good feelings about scandium

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