Scandium oxide (Sc2O3) is one of the most important scandium products. Its physicochemical properties are similar to those of rare earth oxides (such as La2O3, Y2O3 and Lu2O3), so the production methods used in production are very similar. Sc2O3 can produce scandium (Sc), different salts (ScCl3, ScF3, ScI3, Sc2 (C2O4) 3, etc.) and various scandium alloys (Al Sc, Al Zr Sc series). These scandium products have practical technical value and good economic effect. Because Sc2O3 has some characteristics, it has good applications in aluminum alloys, electric light sources, lasers, catalysts, activators, ceramics, aerospace and other fields, and its development prospects are very broad.
In the 1970s, China began to develop Sc2O3 products, and kilogram products entered the market. In the 1980s, the production of Sc2O3 in China reached a climax, with an output of more than 100 kg, mainly exported to Japan and the United States. Since the 1990s, Russia has produced a large number of Sc2O3 products and put them into the international market at a low price, which has seriously impacted the production of scandium oxide in China, making the production of Sc2O3 at a low ebb. Many production lines have been dismounted, making China's production capacity and output shrink. However, in recent years, the development of Sc Al alloy and electric light source materials in China has promoted the development of industrial production of Sc2O3. China is rich in scandium resources. It is reported that at present, the industrial reserves of scandium in the world are about 2 million tons, while in China there are about 600000 to 650000 tons, accounting for about 30% of the world total.
