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Why Scandium
Supply, Demand and Uses
Scandium is a high-value critical metal used in advanced alloys that improve strength, reduce weight and enhance performance in specialised industrial and energy applications.
Even in very small quantities, scandium can materially improve strength, fatigue resistance, weldability and corrosion resistance while maintaining low density. These properties make scandium valuable in aerospace, defence, transport, additive manufacturing and emerging energy technologies.
Scandium also adds value through its use in advanced ceramics, solid oxide fuel cells and catalyst-related applications. Scandia-stabilised zirconia is used in solid oxide fuel cells because of its high ionic conductivity, and scandium oxide is also used in electronic ceramics and catalyst applications.
Scandium is also becoming strategically important as governments and industry place greater emphasis on secure critical mineral supply chains. With global supply limited and few primary sources available, scandium is increasingly recognised as both a high-performance industrial metal and a strategically significant material within the broader competition to secure critical minerals, particularly between the United States and China.
Related
Uses: Aerospace, Alloys and Energy
The largest potential application for scandium is in aluminium-scandium alloys, which are used in aerospace, defence, transportation and additive manufacturing. These alloys enable lighter structures, improved fuel efficiency and enhanced performance.
Scandium is also used in solid oxide fuel cells and is emerging as a component in advanced energy storage materials, including metal hydrides.
Scandium-containing materials are also being investigated for next-generation communications infrastructure, including 6G and advanced telecommunications systems, where lightweight, high-strength and thermally stable materials are required for antennas, satellite components and high-performance electronic systems.
Supply Constraints
Global scandium supply is extremely limited and largely derived as a by-product from titanium dioxide, nickel and uranium operations. Annual production is estimated to be only a few tens of tonnes, and supply is fragmented and inconsistent.
Very few deposits globally contain scandium at grades suitable for primary production. This structural supply constraint has historically limited market development and adoption, particularly for aluminium-scandium alloys that require reliable supply chains.
Demand Outlook
Demand for scandium is expected to grow as industries seek stronger, lighter and more energy-efficient materials. Adoption of aluminium-scandium alloys in aerospace, automotive and additive manufacturing represents a key growth driver.
Emerging energy applications, including energy storage and fuel cells, may further expand demand, while potential use in advanced communications infrastructure, including 6G systems and satellite technologies, may provide additional long-term demand drivers. As supply constraints ease through development of primary scandium projects, broader commercial adoption is expected to increase.
Why It Matters to Australian Mines
Australian Mines is positioned to benefit from scandium through both resource ownership and downstream technology development. The Flemington Project hosts a globally significant high-grade scandium resource, providing potential future supply. In parallel, the Company’s Energy Storage program, based on its Metal Hydrides technology, is developing scandium-based alloys for energy storage applications.
This combination provides exposure to both supply and technology, creating a strategic link between critical metals development and advanced energy storage solutions, and positioning Australian Mines to participate across the value chain from resource to application.