Scandium oxide

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

<templatestyles src="Chembox/styles.css"/>

Template:Chembox image cellTemplate:Chembox AllOtherNamesTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox IndexlistTemplate:Chembox JmolTemplate:Chembox ChEMBLTemplate:Chembox ECHATemplate:Chembox E numberTemplate:Chembox IUPHAR ligandTemplate:Chembox UNIITemplate:Chembox CompToxTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox SolubilityInWaterTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox Datapage checkTemplate:Chembox Footer
Scandium(III) oxide
Template:Longitem Template:Unbulleted list
ChEBI Template:Unbulleted list
ChemSpider Template:Unbulleted list
DrugBank Template:Unbulleted list
EC Number Template:Unbulleted list
KEGG Template:Unbulleted list
Template:Longitem Template:Unbulleted list
RTECS number Template:Unbulleted list
Script error: No such module "collapsible list".
Script error: No such module "collapsible list".
Template:Longitem Sc2O3
Molar mass 137.910 g/mol
Appearance White powder
Density 3.86 g/cm3
Melting point Template:Chembox CalcTemperatures
Solubility soluble in hot acids (reacts)
Template:Longitem Bixbyite
Template:Longitem Ia3 (No. 206)
Template:Longitem
a = 985 pm
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) Template:NFPA 704 diamond
Template:Longitem Scandium(III) sulfide
Template:Longitem Yttrium(III) oxide
Lutetium(III) oxide

Template:Chembox Footer/trackingScript error: No such module "TemplatePar".Template:Short description

Scandium(III) oxide or scandia is a inorganic compound with formula Sc2O3. It is one of several oxides of rare earth elements with a high melting point. It is used in the preparation of other scandium compounds as well as in high-temperature systems (for its resistance to heat and thermal shock), electronic ceramics, and glass composition (as a helper material).

Structure and physical properties

Scandium(III) oxide adopts a cubic crystal structure (point group: tetrahedral (Th), space group: Ia3) containing 6-coordinate metal centres.[1] Powder diffraction analysis shows Sc−O bond distances of 2.159–2.071 Å.[2]

Scandium oxide is an insulator with a band gap of 6.0 eV.[3]

Production

Scandium oxide is the primary form of refined scandium produced by the mining industry. Scandium-rich ores, such as thortveitite (Sc,Y)2(Si2O7) and kolbeckite ScPO4·2H2O are rare, however trace amounts of scandium are present in many other minerals. Scandium oxide is therefore predominantly produced as a by-product from the extraction of other elements.

Reactions

Scandium oxide is the primary form of refined scandium produced by the mining industry, making it the start point for all scandium chemistry.

Scandium oxide reacts with most acids upon heating, to produce the expected hydrated product. For example, heating in excess aqueous HCl produces hydrated ScCl3·nH2O. This can be rendered anhydrous by evaporation to dryness in the presence of NH4Cl, with the mixture then being purified by removal of NH4Cl by sublimation at 300-500 °C.[4] The presence of NH4Cl is required, as the hydrated ScCl3·nH2O would otherwise form a mixed oxychloride upon drying.

Sc2O3 + 6 HCl + x H2O → 2 ScCl3·nH2O + 3 H2O
ScCl3·nH2O + n NH4Cl → ScCl3 + n H2O + n NH4Cl

Likewise, it is converted into hydrated scandium(III) triflate (Sc(OTf)3·nH2O) by a reaction with triflic acid.[5]

Metallic scandium is produced industrially by the reduction of scandium oxide; this proceeds via conversion to scandium fluoride followed by a reduction with metallic calcium. This process is in some ways similar to the Kroll process for the production of metallic titanium.

Scandium oxide forms scandate salts with alkalis, unlike its higher homologues yttrium oxide and lanthanum oxide (but like lutetium oxide), for example forming K3Sc(OH)6 with KOH. In this, scandium oxide shows more similarity with aluminium oxide.

Natural occurrence

Natural scandia, although impure, occurs as mineral kangite.[6]

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. Wells A.F. (1984) Structural Inorganic Chemistry 5th edition Oxford Science Publications Template:ISBN
  2. Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  3. Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  4. Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  5. McCleverty, J.A. and Meyer, T.J., Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II, 2003, Elsevier Science, Template:ISBN, Vol. 3, p. 99 ["Refluxing scandium oxide with triflic acid leads to the isolation of hydrated scandium triflate"]
  6. Mindat, http://www.mindat.org/min-42879.html

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Script error: No such module "Navbox". Script error: No such module "Navbox". Script error: No such module "Authority control".