Scandium gets its name from Scandinavia, where it was first discovered in 1879 by Swedish chemist Lars Fredrik Nilson.

The father of the periodic table, Dmitri Mendeleev had listed it as a “missing element” before its discovery and intended to call it “eka-boron.” He correctly predicted many of its properties.

Scandium is classified as a transition metal and is sometimes grouped with the rare earth elements, though it is most notable for how it interacts with aluminum.

In its pure form, scandium is silvery-white but appears yellowish when exposed to air. It is soft but it would be difficult to sever with a knife.

Scandium is very lightweight—about three times lighter than copper—and is stronger than aluminum.

It is used in products like baseball bats, bicycle frames, ceramics, and electronics.

Scandium was a key component in the Soviet Union’s MiG fighter planes.

In small amounts, scandium is considered to be non-toxic.

It can be found in trace amounts in hundreds of different minerals.

However, it is too reactive to be found in its pure elemental form in nature.

The largest reserves of scandium are found in Australia, China, and Russia. It is often recovered as a by-product during uranium and tungsten mining. About 15 to 20 tonnes are produced each year.

Scandium is also weakly magnetic.

Due to its rarity, scandium is quite expensive and can cost thousands of dollars per kilogram.