Scandium Extraction and Use in Aluminum Alloys: Poster Session
Sponsored by: TMS Light Metals Division, TMS: Aluminum Committee
Program Organizers: Timothy Langan, Sunrise Energy Metals; Samuel Wagstaff, Oculatus Consulting; Phil Chataigneau, Ppk Group Australia / Pdu Inc. ; Efthymios Balomenos, Mytilineos S.A.; Thomas Dorin, Deakin University; M. Akbar Rhamdhani, Swinburne University of Technology; Dimitrios Filippou, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium; Henk van der Laan, V.I.C. Van der Laan International Consultancy BV; Frank Palm, Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
Monday 5:30 PM
March 20, 2023
Room: Exhibit Hall G
Location: SDCC
E-30: Scandium Extraction from TiO2 Pigment Production Residues by Ion Exchange: Evaluation of Two Commercial Ion Exchange Resins
: Eleni Mikeli1; Danai Marinos1; Dimitrios Panias1; Efthymios Balomenos1; Carsten Dittrich2; Robin Scharfenberg2; Bengi Yagmurlu2; Beate Orberger3; Georges Croise4; 1National Technical University of Athens; 2MEAB Chemie Technik GmbH; 3Catura Geoprojects; 4ORANO Mining-Cime
Scandium (Sc), is increasingly used in various applications such as solid oxide fuel cells, solid oxygen electrolyzers, 5G applications, thin film deposits, and aeronautics and space sectors. Scandium is present at significant concentrations (50-140 mg/L) in by-products from titanium oxide pigment production. In Europe, this presents about 0.7 million tons per year. In this study, the potential extraction of Sc by ion exchange (IX) of an acidic iron chloride solution, containing 130 mg/L of Sc was investigated. Two different ion-exchange resins were evaluated for their performance and their potential use in pilot-scale was evaluated through laboratory scale column experiments. Our results show that the impregnated resin containing bis (2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) perform better for Sc extraction with a higher exhaustion point, towards the resin containing, aminomethyl-phosphonic acid (AMPA) functional group. In both resins, V, Zr and Ti are also co-extracted. Additionally, a full operation cycle was carried out, using oxalic acid as a scrubbing agent to remove impurities and ammonium fluoride to remove Sc from the loaded resin.
Sustainable Selective Separation of Scandium from Acidic Industrial Wastes: Thanos Karamalidis1; James Howard1; 1Anactisis LLC
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.
E-31: Effect of Sc on Surface Recrystallization of AA7050 Extrusions: Keaton Schmidt1; Tom Wood1; Timothy Langan2; Paul Sanders1; 1Michigan Technological University; 2Sunrise Energy Metals
Extrusion processes utilize high temperatures and strains that can result in undesirable surface microstructures. During post-extrusion heat treating, aluminum can exhibit surface recrystallization known as peripheral coarse grains (PCG) formation, which can reduce fatigue strength and corrosion resistance. Additions of Sc to AA7050 can produce nano-sized dispersoids with Sc cores and Zr shells that resist recrystallization. A baseline 7050 billet (Zr only) and two Sc additions (0.02 and 0.05 wt%) extruded to assess dispersoid effects on PCG formation at varying surface strains after standard heat treating. The 0.02 wt% Sc addition reduced PCG by 15% at low strains of 8 to 9.5 and 50% in regions where strain reached 10 to 12.5. The alloy with 0.05 wt% Sc prevented PCG formation at the lowest strains and reduced the volume of PCGs by up to 90% in high strain regions. While adding 0.1wt% Sc to an alloy costs about $2, this additional cost may be offset by improving the quality of extrusions and reducing processing costs with different extruding parameters.