Scandium Oxide, Also Known As Scandia, Is a Valuable Component in Numerous High-Tech Applications

Scandium Oxide, Also Known As Scandia, Is a Valuable Component in Numerous High-Tech Applications

Scandium oxide, also known as scandia, is a rare-earth metal oxide and a common material used in many high-tech applications. Its unique properties and exceptional qualities make it a vital component in numerous industry applications, including optical coatings, waveguides, high-temperature optics and more.

Scandia is a white, water-soluble crystalline powder that is most often produced by the reduction of its trihydrate, scandium oxalate hydrate (Sc(C2O4)3). It can be further processed to produce various other rare-earth oxides, including the metallic form of scandium. The chemical formula of scandium oxide is Sc2O3.

It has an extremely high melting point, which makes it a valuable material for use in applications that require high heat resistance and thermal stability. In addition, scandium oxide is a key ingredient in several advanced ceramics. These ceramic materials are used in applications that demand durability and precise optical properties, particularly in electronics, aerospace, military and defense industries.

Because of its high refractive index, scandium oxide is a key component in optical coatings and photonic devices. Its ability to precisely control the direction of light allows it to be used in waveguides that direct the paths of lasers, for example. This can be crucial in telecommunications and data transfer technology, where the efficient transmission of energy is essential.

Moreover, it is a crucial element in high-intensity discharge lamps like the metal halide and high-pressure sodium arc lamps. It is added to the phosphor mix in these lamps to increase their efficiency and enhance their color rendering index. Additionally, scandium oxide is used as a dopant in some metal-oxide field-effect transistors such as gallium nitride (GaN) to improve their performance and reliability.

Due to its low vapor pressure and chemical inertness, scandium oxide is also an excellent additive to certain types of glass. It can be added to glass compositions for the purpose of lowering the melting temperature and reducing viscosity. Furthermore, it can be added to high-performance coatings for applications requiring very high hardness and scratch-resistance. These coatings are often used in the production of consumer electronics and automotive components. ATT specializes in the production of spray-dried and non-spray-dried, high-purity scandium oxide powders with the lowest average grain size possible. These powders are used for the preparation of pressed and bonded sputtering targets as well as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes such as thermal and electron beam (E-Beam) evaporation, low temperature organic vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The material can be delivered in any required form, size and purity. Typical packaging is a 50-kilogram bag, but smaller and larger volumes are available upon request.