Department of Natural Resources and Mines
Geological Survey of Queensland
Scandium opportunities in Queensland
What is scandium?
Scandium (Sc) is one of several strategic elements which have
not been produced in significant quantities in the past, but which
are now gaining importance for new technologies.
Scandium, with an atomic number of 21, is technically not one
of the rare earth elements. However, the International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry includes scandium as the lightest
member in its rare earth element definition. It is included with a
group of elements such as yttrium, which is also included in the
rare earths.
Scandium has a melting point of 1541C.
Scandium is rarely found concentrated in a natural form
because it lacks an affinity to combine with common ore-
forming anions. Therefore mineral deposits containing
significant concentrations are rare (scandium is more abundant
on the moon than it is on earth!).
While several uses for scandium are known, the lack of reliable
sources makes development of these technologies difficult.
Until now, scandium was recovered as a by-product from
uranium leaching in the United States and Russia. However,
two recent discoveries in Queensland and one in New South
Wales may provide a reliable supply of scandium to the market
and result in increased demand as more uses for the element
are discovered.
How do we use scandium?
The lack of production has restricted scandiums usefulness,
but the future development of a regular supply, such as that
predicted to come from Queensland, will see scandium use
increase and become more commonplace.
The main current uses for scandium are:
Bicycle frames and golf clubs. In scandiumaluminium alloys a
small amount of scandium significantly increases the strength
and corrosion resistance of the alloy. Such light, high strength
alloys are currently mainly used in high performance sporting
goods such as baseball bats, bicycle frames or golf clubs.
Advanced fuel cell technology. In the manufacture of solid
oxide fuel cells which chemically convert natural gas (or other
fuels) into electricity, scandium oxide produces the most
efficient cells at lower temperatures. These cells provide more
efficient on-site electricity and heating and produce less carbon
dioxide than conventional fuel cell technology.
Lighting for film and television. High intensity discharge lamps
use scandium iodide to create a light that is similar to daylight.
Scandium lights are used on film sets or sporting arenas to
improve television pictures because of the light quality and
because they are more efficient than other high intensity lights.
Great state. Great opportunity.
September 2014
The USA uses 20 kg of scandium a year to create high intensity
lights.
Fighter jets and hand guns. Scandium alloy is also used to
make high strength hand gun frames for the same reason it is
used in sporting goodsit is light and strong. Russia uses the
scandiumaluminium alloy in MiG fighter airframes. This use is
likely to be more common as supplies of scandium increase.
Defence and dentistry. Laser crystals of gadolinium scandium
(or gallium garnets) are used in strategic defence applications
and in dental lasers.
Where is scandium found?
Scandium is found in the minerals thortveitite, euxenite, and
gadolinite, which are rare and are believed to be magmatic in
origin and occur in association with fluorite-bearing granitic
pegmatite.
Scandium is often concentrated in laterite profiles in humid
tropical environments. Absorption on clay minerals is a primary
source for enrichment. The element is generally associated with
siderophile elements like iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and cobalt
(Co).
Where is scandium found in Queensland?
Two of the worlds three defined Sc resources are in Queensland.
Metallica Minerals reported at the Mining 2011 Conference,
that the SCONI deposit (previously NORNICO) at their Lucknow
deposit south of Greenvale contains 6.24 Mt of ore @ 169 g/t Sc
for 1,580tonnes of Sc2O3 and their Kokomo deposit further north
has 8.9 Mt of ore @ 109 g/t Sc for 1,500 tonnes of Sc2O3). The
deposits are lateritised sepentinites and also contain nickel and
cobalt resources. The third defined scandium deposit is in New
South Wales. The price of Sc2O3 in 2012 was over >$4500/kg.
Exploration potential in Queensland
The distribution of scandium in Queensland was tested during a
regional national geochemical survey. The survey shows several
drainage systems in Queensland with anomalous scandium
concentrations in the sediments. At this stage there has been no
testing to determine the source of the scandium. One possible
scenario is that the streams sampled drain laterite profiles which
have concentrated scandium. This data suggests that there is
potential for more scandium discoveries in Queensland to meet
any future global demand for this commodity. Because scandium
is also concentrated along with other Rare Earth Elements (REE),
exploration for a range of commodities could go hand in hand.
Further reading
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/scandium/
index.html#mcs
 140 145 150

Queensland
10
Rare Earth Elements
and Scandium
" Town
(
!
Scandium occurrence
(
!
Rare Earth occurrence
" Weipa
Railway
Road
Permian-Triassic Granitoids
Kennedy Igneous Association
Mesozoic basins
Permian Triassic basins 15

" Cooktown Devonian-Carboniferous basins

New England Orogen
Mossman Orogen
Thomson Orogen
" Cairns
Georgina Basin
" Karumba North Australian Craton
(
! BELL CREEK SOUTH LEASE

( KOKOMO
!

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(!
!( BITUMEN
GREENVALE NICKEL !(
(
!

LUCKNOW " Townsville

20

Mount Isa ( ERNEST HENRY

!

MARY KATHLEEN (
!
WILGAR PROSPECT 0 50 100 200
" " "
MOUNT DOROTHY (
!
!
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(
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( GREEN VALLEY " Mackay Kilometres
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(!
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" Winton
(
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" Clermont " Marlborough

" Longreach " Rockhampton

(
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" Gladstone

" Bundaberg
25
(
! WATERANGA
" Maryborough
GSQ\14B\MG\CE\CrititcalElementWeb.mxd

" Gympie
" Charleville
" Roma
" Chinchilla
" Dalby
" Brisbane
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So u t h A u s tr a l i a Ipswich

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Further information
GSQ hotline
Email: geological_info@dnrm.qld.gov.au
Telephone: +61 7 3006 4666
Geological Survey of Queensland
14B\Factsheets\critical_elements

Level 12, 61 Mary St Brisbane Qld 4000

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au Produced by Spatial and Graphic Services, Geological Survey of Queensland

The State of Queensland (Department of Natural Resources and Mines) 2014
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en