Scandium Sc

Scandium was one of the elements predicted by Mendeleev in 1871 when he proposed his system for organizing the elements: the periodic table. At the time he called it ekaboron ("like boron") and suggested some of the physical and chemical properties it would have. The existence of scandium was confirmed only 8 years later by Lars Nilson. It is named for the Latin word for Scandinavia.

The metal is lightweight and fairly corrosion-resistant. It also has a high melting point and therefore finds applications in the aerospace industry. Scandium is widely distributed on the earth and has an abundance similar to cobalt and lithium. Most commercial scandium is obtained from the uranium refining process.