Scandium(III) oxide

Scandium(III) oxide

__ Sc3+__ O2−
Names
IUPAC name Scandium(III) oxide
Other names Scandia, scandium sesquioxide
Identifiers
CAS Number	12060-08-1 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ECHA InfoCard	100.031.844
PubChem CID	4583683
InChI InChI=1S/3O.2Sc
SMILES O=[Sc]O[Sc]=O
Properties
Chemical formula	Sc2O3
Molar mass	137.910 g/mol
Appearance	White powder
Density	3.86 g/cm3
Melting point	2,485 °C (4,505 °F; 2,758 K)
Solubility in water	insoluble in water
Solubility	soluble in hot acids (reacts)
Hazards
NFPA 704	0 1 0
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Y  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Scandium(III) oxide, Sc₂O₃, or scandia, is a high melting rare earth oxide. 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).

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

Scandium Oxide is an insulator with a band gap of 6.0 eV.

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 predominately produced as a by-product from the extraction of other elements.

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. The presence of NH₄Cl is required, as the hydrated ScCl₃·nH₂O would otherwise form a mixed oxychloride upon drying.