Interesting Facts about Scandium

Scandium is the 21st element in the periodic table of elements, and the first transition metal element. Scandium is known to be a silver and white solid metal that is soft in nature, very light, and resembles aluminum. Here, let's find out 10 interesting facts related to this special element!

Scandium's position in the periodic system table

10 Interesting Facts about Scandium

1. Dmitri Mendeleev, the father of the periodic table of elements, predicted the presence of a new element with an atomic mass between 40 and 48 in 1869. He made this prediction because there was a distance between the atomic mass of calcium and titanium. He named it ekaboron which means similar to Boron.

Metal Scandium

2. Scandium was discovered in 1879 by Lars Fredrik Nilson, who named it Scandinavia because the element appeared in rare minerals found there.

3. Scandium is more abundant on the moon and sun than on Earth. On Earth, scandium tends to spread thinly on the surface rather than concentrated in any given location.

4. Scadium has no role in biology and the average person eats less than 0.1 micrograms per day with no effects on health.

5. Scandium is mainly used to produce high intensity lighting and mercury vapor lamps (mainly used for photography and television / film).

Mercury vapor lamp spectrum

6. Scandium is also used in alkaline batteries as a catalyst and to improve the germination of plant seeds.

7. Scadium is also used in alloys to make sports equipment, especially bicycle frames and baseball batons.

Scadium is also used in alloys to make sports equipment, especially bicycle frames and baseball batons.

8. The scandium impurity that gives off the blue color makes many types of beryl known as aquamarine gemstones.

9. Scandium-46 is a radioactive isotope that is used as a tracer to detect leaks in underground pipes. It is also used in oil refining for process monitoring.

10. The price of pure metal can range from $ 270 to $ 280 per gram.