Scandium

Scandium is a chemical element with symbol Sc and atomic number 21.

Contents

• Uses
• Benefits
• Cautions
• Interactions
• Other names
• References

Uses

• Scandium is used in aluminum-scandium alloys for aerospace industry components and for sports equipment such as bicycle frames, fishing rods, golf iron shafts and baseball bats.

  Scandium iodide is used in mercury vapor lamps, which are used to replicate sunlight in studios for the film and television industry. Scandium oxide (scandia), is used to make high intensity “stadium” lights.

  The radioactive isotope ⁴⁵Sc is used in oil refineries as a tracing agent.

  Very dilute scandium sulfate is used to improve the germination of seeds such as corn, peas and wheat.

Benefits

• n/a

Cautions

• Elemental scandium is considered non-toxic, though extensive animal testing of scandium compounds has not been done. The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) levels for scandium(III) chloride for rats have been determined as 4 mg/kg for intraperitoneal and 755 mg/kg for oral administration. In the light of these results compounds of scandium should be handled as compounds of moderate toxicity.

Interactions

n/a

Other names

Sc21

References

Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandium

Chemicool, http://www.chemicool.com/elements/scandium.html