Scandium metal

Scandium metal (CAS 7440-20-2) is a silvery-white rare earth element with a melting point of 1,541 °C. It is commercially available in high-purity forms — sublimed dendritic pieces, ingot/lump, sputtering targets, granules, foil, and powder — with purity grades from 99 % up to 99.995 % on a Sc/TREM basis.

Where is Scandium metal used?

• Aluminium metallurgy: direct addition to the melt for Al-Sc master alloys
• Mg-Sc and Ti-Sc systems for lightweight structural components
• Electronics and semiconductors: sputtering targets for AlScN thin films in bulk acoustic resonators, RF filters and MEMS devices
• Specialty chemical synthesis: feedstock for scandium triiodide (ScI₃) and other scandium compounds
• In aluminium metallurgy, additions of 0.1–0.5 wt % scandium refine the grain structure and inhibit recrystallisation.

Good to know: Powder form is classified as a flammable solid under UN 3089 and is outside the standard product scope. Handling requires attention to the signal word Danger.

Commercial specifications

• Purity grades from 99 % up to 99.995 % on a Sc/TREM basis
• Sputtering targets: 2–4 inch diameter, Sc/TREM ≥ 99.99 %, density > 99.5 %, average grain size < 500 µm, surface roughness < 2 µm
• Purity documentation typically specifies Sc/TREM ≥ 99.9 % alongside TREM ≥ 99 %
• Lot sizes from 1 g laboratory quantities up to 1 kg units, packaged under argon or vacuum seal