Scandium (21)

We have now entered into the transition elements. This is the block in the middle which holds all of the elements with 'd' shells for their electrons. These are the more interesting metals... in my opinion.

Scandium is a silvery-white metal which develops a slightly yellowish or pinkish cast upon exposure to air. It is relatively soft, and resembles yttrium and the rare-earth metals more than it ...resembles aluminum or titanium. Scandium reacts rapidly with many acids.

Scandium is apparently a much more abundant element in the sun and certain stars than on earth.

•Name: Scandium
•Symbol: Sc
•Atomic number: 21
•Atomic weight: 44.955912
•Standard state: solid at 298 K
•CAS Registry ID: 7440-20-2
•Group in periodic table: 3
•Period in periodic table: 4
•Block in periodic table: d-block
•Color: silvery white
•Classification: Metallic

Historical information

Scandium was discovered by Lars Fredrik Nilson at 1879 in Sweden. Origin of name: from the Latin word "Scandia" meaning "Scandinavia". Scandium was discovered by Lars Frederick Nilson (a Scandinavian) in 1876 in the minerals euxenite and gadolinite, which had not yet been found anywhere except in Scandinavia. He and his coworkers were actually looking for rare earth metals. By processing 10 kg of euxenite and other residues of rare-earth minerals, Nilson was able to prepare about 2 g of scandium oxide (scandia, Sc2O3) of high purity.

In 1871 Mendeleev (father of periodic table) predicted that an element should exist that would resemble boron in its properties. He therefore called it ekaboron, (symbol Eb). Per Theodor Cleve found scandium oxide at about the same time. He noted that the new element was the element ekaboron predicted by Mendeleev in 1871.

Physical properties

•Melting point: 1814 [or 1541 °C (2806 °F)] K
•Boiling point: 3103 [or 2830 °C (5126 °F)] K
•Density of solid: 2985 kg m-3

Orbital properties

•Ground state electron configuration: [Ar].3d1.4s2
•Shell structure: 2.8.9.2
•Term symbol: 2D3/2

Isolation

Preparation of metallic samples of scandium is not normally necessary given that it is commercially available. In practice little scandium is produced. The mineral thortveitite contains 35-40% Sc2O3 is used to produce scandium metal but another important source is as a byproduct from uranium ore processing, even though these only contain 0.02% Sc2O3.

Interesting facts:

•Scandium was named after Scandinavia. Chemist Lars Nilson was attempting to isolate the element ytterbium from the minerals euxenite and gadolinite when he discovered scandium. These minerals were primarily found in the Scandinavia region.

•Scandium is the transition metal with the lowest atomic number.

•The discovery of scandium filled a spot predicted by Mendeleev's periodic table. Scandium took the place of the placeholder element eka-boron.

•Most scandium compounds have scandium with the Sc3+ ion.

•Scandium has an abundance in the Earth's crust of 22 mg/kg (or parts per million).

•Scandium has an abundance in seawater of 6 x 10-7 mg/L (or parts per million).

•Scandium is more abundant on the Moon than on Earth.