Scandium
Rare Earths: Critical Minerals for The Energy Transition
Navigating the Scandium Market
Scandium is a strategic rare earth element possessing unique properties for specialised aluminium alloys. When added to aluminium, scandium enhances strength and corrosion resistance while maintaining light weight. As such, scandium-aluminium alloys possess high-performance advantages for aerospace, defence, sports equipment, and automotive applications. These alloys improve fuel efficiency, flight ranges, manoeuvrability, and durability. While global scandium resources are substantial, known reserves suitable for economic extraction are concentrated predominantly in China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Russia. However, demand is rising from the aluminium sector to develop advanced alloys for transportation and other applications. This is promoting new mining projects, including an Australian mine projected to begin operations in 2023 aimed at helping meet escalating market needs. Given scandium's enabling properties yet scarce natural occurrence, the strategic availability of reliable supply merits close examination. SFA (Oxford) aims to provide insights into current scandium supply and demand dynamics and the diversification efforts needed to bolster long-term access to this critical material for high-tech aluminium applications.
An introduction to scandium
Scandium demand and end-uses
Scandium is a rare earth metal with unique properties that make it valuable in various applications due to its beneficial properties and its application in various high-tech and clean energy sectors. Scandium-aluminium high-performance alloys are a key market. However, the use of scandium has been limited by its scarce availability and its high production cost.
The global scandium market is expected to grow, driven by its applications in aerospace (improving fuel economy, distance, and agility), electronics (enhancing electrical configurations and energy bands, phosphors in LEDs, and optics for laser applications), and clean energy sectors such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
Other scandium markets include sports equipment, 3D printing, and as a lighting source (metal halide lamps) before LED technology took off.
Strategic applications of Scandium
Scandium supply
Scandium is produced as a by-product from various sources, including uranium and rare earth production, titanium and iron ore mining, and nickel and cobalt mines.
Scandium supply is predominantly from China. Other scandium resources have been identified in N. America, Europe (Finland, Norway), Russia, Kazakhstan, Africa (Guinea, Madagascar, South Africa), the Philippines, and Ukraine.
Rare earth oxide (REO) producers
Future rare earth oxide (REO) producers
Rare earth recyclers
The Rare Earth markets
SFA (Oxford) provides market intelligence on rare earth oxides (REOs) and their price drivers.
Meet the Critical Minerals team
Trusted advice from a dedicated team of experts.
Henk de Hoop
Chief Executive Officer
Beresford Clarke
Managing Director: Technical & Research
Jamie Underwood
Principal Consultant
Ismet Soyocak
ESG & Critical Minerals Lead
Rj Coetzee
Senior Market Analyst: Battery Materials and Technologies
Dr Sandeep Kaler
Market Strategy Analyst
How can we help you?
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