scandium

Silver-white, metallic element, atomic number 21, relative atomic mass 44.956. Its compounds are found widely distributed in nature, but only in minute amounts. The metal has little industrial importance.

Scandium oxide (scandia) is used as a catalyst, in making crucibles and other ceramic parts, and scandium sulphate (in very dilute aqueous solution) is used in agriculture to improve seed germination. Scandium is relatively more abundant in the Sun and other stars than on Earth.

The element was discovered and named 1879 by Swedish chemist Lars Nilson (1840–1899), for Latin Scandia, because it occurs in the Scandinavian mineral euxenite, on which he worked.