| Abstract Scope |
Despite well-understood material property enhancements, use of scandium (Sc) has been extremely limited due to volatile prices and quality, a lack of Western production, and an inefficient state of the art in production and processing. The United States has untapped resources of critical elements, including Sc, in in-process mining and industrial waste. Waste generated by mining, such as the production of alumina, titanium dioxide, phosphates, and many others have the potential to provide critical minerals and Sc to our economies. These waste streams have been left behind as incidental liabilities to long-running processes that did not have the capability for, or the economic benefit of, extracting more value. In this study, we provide a pathway for the extraction, selective separation and recovery of Sc from these industrial wastes. |