3 ms·
Unsporting scandium (2014)
- scythe 6y agoIn the time since this article was published some major scandium deposits were discovered in Australia: https://aluminiuminsider.com/aluminium-scandium-alloys-future/ https://aluminiuminsider.com/aluminium-scandium-alloys-futur... It seems like scandium is to aluminium what molybdenum is to iron: able to dramatically improve qualities at minuscule alloy fractions.
- kristianp 6y agoHere's another project in Australia that promises to produce scandium. I doubt any of them will actually be built into a producing mine, though. https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/222183/australian-mines-cobalt-and-scandium-assays-indicate-potential-for-flemington-resource-boost-222183.html https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/222183/...
- foobarian 6y ago> Adding 0.5% scandium to aluminium greatly increases the metal's strength while maintaining its light weight, as well as raising its melting point by 800 °C so that, unlike ordinary aluminium, it can be welded. Wait, what? That has got to be a typo. That would more than double the Al melting point of 655 C.
- apsec112 6y agoIt's not a typo, but you need much more than 0.5%. Here's a phase diagram: http://www.arc.nucapt.northwestern.edu/refbase/files/Royset-2005.pdf http://www.arc.nucapt.northwestern.edu/refbase/files/Royset-...
- mkj 6y agoSurely all metals would be unsporting in a cricket bat, not just scandium.