Sc Content Research Articles

Thermal transport in disordered wurtzite ScAlN alloys using machine learning interatomic potentials

Disordered wurtzite ScAlN alloy is an emerging material with a strong piezoelectric coefficient that promotes its application in 5 G communication devices. To extend the service lifetime of the device, it is an urgent task to understand the thermal transport properties of this alloy for thermal management. Yet a thorough understanding of the thermal transport in the disordered ScAlN alloy is hindered by the inaccuracy of empirical interatomic potentials adopted for atomistic simulations. Herein, we developed an accurate and efficient neuro-evolution potential and combined it with Allen and Feldman theory and molecular dynamics to investigate thermal transport properties of disordered ScAlN alloys with varying ratios. This potential is shown to have the same computational accuracy as first principles by comparing the phonon spectrum and radial distribution function. Based on the homogeneous non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, the lattice thermal conductivity of the disordered alloys reaches its maximum value (less than 12 W/m·K) at room temperature. Further investigation of the temperature effects on the vibrational modes shows that it affects the mode lifetimes for the propagons and the mode heat capacities for the diffusions. In addition, it was found that both mode lifetime and diffusivity decrease with increasing Sc concentration. This work aims to train a universal machine learning interatomic potential of disordered ScAlN alloys, seeking to accelerate the thermal management design of related devices.

Piezoelectric and elastic properties of Al0.60Sc0.40N thin films deposited on patterned metal electrodes

Sc-doped aluminum nitride (AlScN) allows for piezoelectric devices with large electromechanical coupling and the benefits increase with larger Sc doping in the film. However, with a larger Sc concentration, the process window narrows, and it is necessary to fine-tune the deposition parameters to achieve a good film. In this paper, we investigate depositions of highly doped AlScN (40% Sc) on unpatterned and patterned metal layers, to show how it is possible to maintain a good film quality on a metal electrode. We find how high-temperature deposition of the metal improves the AlScN film quality, how the gas mixture allows to reduce defects, and how film quality changes with thickness. We show that extreme care must be taken in the apparently trivial step of photoresist cleaning. Finally, we extract the mechanical, electrical, and piezoelectric properties of our optimized layer from a batch of fabricated resonators, obtaining a 5× improvement of piezoelectric coupling compared to undoped AlN and a 1.5× improvement from 32% doped AlScN.

Temperature dependence of photoluminescence kinetics and scintillation properties of LuY2(Al5-xScx)O12:Ce (x = 1, 1.5, 2) garnet single-crystalline films

The temperature dependence of photoluminescence (PL) kinetics and scintillation properties were investigated in LuY2(Al5-xScx)O12:Ce (x = 1, 1.5, 2) garnet single-crystalline films grown by the isothermal liquid phase epitaxy method. With the increase of Sc content, the Ce3+ 5d1 level was shifted to higher energy while the Ce3+ 5d2 level was shifted to lower energy due to the decrease in crystal field splitting of the 5d levels. Activation energy of thermal quenching, determined from temperature-dependent PL decay times, decreased with increasing Sc content. At room temperature, the decrease of light yield (LY) value with increasing Sc content is caused by the thermal ionization process. LuY2(Al4Sc)O12:Ce showed a LY value of 510 photons/MeV when excited by 5.5 MeV α-particles, which is ∼21 % larger than that of Lu2Y(Al4Sc)O12:Ce due to a smaller bandgap Eg of the former.

Study on the effects of alloying elements on porosity in Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy fabricated by wire arc directed energy deposition

Wire arc directed energy deposition (WA-DED) technology has broad application prospects in man-ufacturing large-size and complex metal components due to its low production costs and high depos-ition efficiency. However, pores are still challenging in WA-DED-processed aluminum (Al) alloys. Although many works have been discussed in this field, the relevant studies about the effect of alloying elements on porosity are fewer. In this work, Al alloy wires with 0.36Sc and 0.11Zr (LAEW, wt%) and 0.72Sc and 0.23Zr (HAEW) were selected to fabricate single-pass multi-layer compone-nts with different welding speeds, and the pores were analyzed by X-ray computed tomography (XCT) technology. As the content of Sc and Zr elements increased, the density of Al-Mg-Sc-Zr components significantly decreased. The highest porosity, number density, and the largest average diameter of pores in components with HAEW were about 7.37 %, 6.04 × 102 /mm3, and 46.77 ± 29.31 μm, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of LAEW. The second phases of all components were mainly Al3(Sc1-x, Zrx) phases. Compared to LAEW, the Al3(Sc1-x, Zrx) phases of components with HAEW had a larger area fraction and average diameter, as well as a higher number density at the same process parameters, the highest values were around 3.00 %, 1.27 ± 0.89 μm, and 15.20 × 103 /mm2. Al3(Sc1-x, Zrx) phases could not only serve as the nucleation cores of bubbles but also hinder bubbles escape. In addition, the Sc element significantly increased the viscosity of Al melt. Therefore, the main influencing factors of pores in components with HAEW were not only process parameters, but also the Al3(Sc1-x, Zrx) phases. However, for LAEW, the process parameters were the major influencing factors on porosity due to lower area fraction and number density of Al3(Sc1-x, Zrx) phases. This work has laid a theoretical foundation for WA-DED-processed high-strength Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloys.

Spatial distribution characteristics of soil heavy metals in Sabao Chaqu watershed of Tuotuo river, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on geographic detector

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau belongs to the area of extremely fragile environment and sensitive to human activities. In recent years, more and more human interference has been detected in this area. In this study, 128 surface soil samples were collected from the Sabao Chaqu watershed of the Tuotuo river at the source of the Yangtze River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The soil pollution status and spatial distribution characteristics of Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn and Ni were evaluated by soil accumulation index, enrichment factor, pollution index and geographical detector. The results showed that the average contents of As, Cd, Pb and Zn in the study area were 1.2–3.64 times higher than soil background values of Tibet, while the contents of Hg, Cr, Cu and Ni were lower than the background values, while the average content of As was higher than the soil pollution risk screening value (GB15618-2018), and the pollution index showed that As was in a low pollution state, while the other 7 heavy metals were in a safe state. There were significant differences in the spatial distribution of 8 heavy metals and there was a significant correlation with soil properties and distance factors. Factor detection showed that natural factors had the strongest explanatory power to the contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu and Ni, distance from the lake and soil Sc content had the strongest explanatory power to Hg content, and anthropogenic factors had the strongest explanatory power to Pb content. Interaction detection revealed that the q values of the strongest interaction explanatory power for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were 2.81, 4.30, 1.26, 2.47, 2.33, 1.59, 6.37, and 5.08 times higher than their strongest factor detection explanatory power, respectively. The interaction between anthropogenic factors and other factors has an important influence on the spatial differentiation of heavy metals in the study area. Risk detection showed that the average contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were the highest in the subregions of MgO, TS, Sc, X6, X13, MgO, TN and X4, respectively. Comprehensive study shows that the spatial differentiation of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn is mainly affected by natural factors, but there are also some anthropogenic factors, the spatial differentiation of Hg is affected by both natural factors and atmospheric deposition, and the spatial distribution characteristics of Pb are mainly affected by anthropogenic factors.

Effect of phase transition on the piezoelectric properties of scandium-alloyed gallium nitride

In this study, the piezoelectric properties of scandium-alloyed gallium nitride (ScGaN), which is expected to be applied to microelectromechanical systems devices, are evaluated by first-principles calculations. The piezoelectric constant (d33) of GaN is found to increase by up to approximately 30 times upon the addition of 62.5 mol. % of Sc. The piezoelectric stress constant (e33) increases and the elastic constant (C33) decreases with increasing Sc content of ScGaN, driving the rise of d33. The improved piezoelectric properties of ScGaN compared with those of GaN are largely attributed to elastic softening, which is thought to be related to the transition from a wurtzite to hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) structure driven by the change in bonding states between atoms caused by the addition of Sc to GaN. The crystal orbital Hamilton population analysis suggests that addition of Sc to GaN results in the combination of weaker Sc–N and Ga–N bonding, which makes the crystal structure unstable. This weakened bonding is thought to be the main cause of the destabilization of the wurtzite structure and transition to the h-BN structure of ScGaN. The elastic softening associated with this structural transition leads to the dramatic improvement in piezoelectric properties.

Realization of ferroelectricity in sputtered Al1-xScxN films with a wide range of Sc content

The ferroelectric properties of wurtzite-structured Al1-xScxN thin films are affected simultaneously by the Sc concentration and in-plane stress state, however, the interaction between these two factors remains unclear. In this work, a series of Al1-xScxN films were deposited on (111) Si substrate by dual-target co-sputtering. X-ray diffraction analyses show the films with a wide range of Sc content (x= 0.05–0.50) have the (0002)-textured wurtzite structure and are in compressive stress state. Ferroelectricity in all the films is confirmed by polarization hysteresis loop measurements at room temperature, and the coercive field exhibits an interesting non-monotonic transition due to the competition between in-plane stress and Sc incorporation. The results provide insight into the wurtzite-structure stability and the nature of ferroelectricity for Al1-xScxN thin films.

Evaluation of Acacia karroo’s Potential Aspect in the Phytoremediation of Soil Pollution

The rise in contaminated sites presents a significant issue for the environment and human health, necessitating the decontamination of the surroundings and the adoption of effective decontamination strategies. This investigation was initiated to assess the potential aspects of Acacia karroo in conjunction with enzyme activity, a method that shows promise for mitigating soil contamination. Acacia karroo, with its hyperaccumulator traits, demonstrates great capacity. Enzymes significantly efficiently convert and detoxify harmful substances to a non-toxic level. ICP-MS quantified the concentrations of trace elements in Acacia karroo, while colorimetric assays were used to determine the activity levels of the enzymes. Ten toxic elements were identified in leaf samples of Acacia karroo in the following sequence: Sr > Zn > Cr > V > Rb > Cu > Ni > Y > Sc > Co; concentrations ranged between 203.86 ± 4.48 ppm (Zn) and 10.12 ± 0.09 ppm (Sc). The concentration of these metals was very high, posing a potential risk of harming the environment. Meanwhile, the three identified enzymes, invertase (INV), phosphatase (PHO), and catalase (CAT), have high and average activity levels, respectively. PHO and CAT showed a positive correlation with Zn, Rb, Sr, and Y, while INV correlated positively with Sc, V, Cr, Co, Cu, and Ni content. The principal component analysis (PCA) findings in this study demonstrated an inconclusive correlation between soil enzyme activity and soil heavy metal content. Both positive and negative correlations between soil enzyme activity and heavy metals were observed. This investigation revealed Acacia karroo as an optimal botanical species for phytoremediation. Consequently, a correlation analysis demonstrated that incorporating the Acacia karroo species along with enzyme activity seems to be a highly promising environmentally friendly technique for remediating soil pollution. The Acacia species can also be used in phytoremediation efforts to help conserve biodiversity. Subsequent investigations should focus on the operational mechanisms of different plant parts used as herbal remedies, isolated compounds, their efficacy, adverse effects, and practical implications.

Influence of underlayer roughness on the properties of Sc0.4Al0.6N thin films prepared via sputter deposition

Abstract A ScAlN thin film is one of the key materials of MEMS and high-frequency filters used in new-generation communication devices. Piezoelectricity can be improved by increasing Sc concentration. However, abnormal grains often appear at high Sc concentrations, degrading crystallinity and piezoelectricity. Herein, we demonstrated that underlayer roughness considerably affects the emergence of abnormal grains in a Sc0.4Al0.6N thin film formed via reactive DC sputtering. Dry etching with Ar plasma can effectively reduce the surface roughness of amorphous SiN and polycrystalline Si. Sc0.4Al0.6N thin films deposited on amorphous SiN and polycrystalline Si with sufficient flat surfaces exhibited a low density of abnormal grains, high crystallinity and piezoelectricity, and low loss tangent. Moreover, such high-quality thin films were obtained on a borophosphosilicate glass flattened using a reflow process without Ar etching. Therefore, underlayer roughness played an important role. The findings can help enable the large-scale production of highly doped ScAlN thin films.

ScxAl1-xN piezoelectric film grown at room temperature

In order to overcome the shortcomings of AlN piezoelectric thin films such as low piezoelectric coefficient and low electromechanical coupling coefficientrealize, ScxAl1−xN thin films with CMOS process compatibility were prepared by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering. High performance ScxAl1−xN piezoelectric thin films were prepared at room temperature by optimizing process parameters including power, gas flow ratio, substrate temperature, seed layers and so on. The phase separation phenomenon was investigated through XRD, TEM, and XPS. We found that the phase separation is related to the appearance of rocksalt ScN and led to the degeneration of film properties. The existence of ScN phase is a key factor affecting the performance of ScxAl1−xN. The results show that the piezoelectric constant d33 of ScAlN film achieved 27.5 pC/N and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve is 1.9° in room temperature when the content of Sc reaches 35%.

Effect of Sc/Zr ratio on superplastic behavior of ultrafine-grained Al–6%Mg alloys

Al–6%Mg-Sc-Zr alloys with a combined Sc and Zr ratio of 0.32 wt% make up the focus of this research. The content of Sc and Zr varied with an increment of 0.02%. Their ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure was formed with Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP). Superplasticity tests were performed at temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 °C and at a strain rate varying between 3.3·10−3 and 3.3·10−1 s−1. The values of strain hardening factor (n), strain rate sensitivity factor (m), and superplastic deformation threshold stress (σp) were determined. The microstructure and failure patterns of the alloys post superplasticity tests were studied. The effect of the Sc/Zr ratio on the superplastic behavior, cavitation fracture and dynamic grain growth of UFG Al–6%Mg alloys was investigated. The satisfiability of Hart's criterion for calculating uniform deformation value under superplastic conditions was verified. Grain boundary sliding and intragranular deformation make comparable contributions to superplastic flow in the UFG aluminum alloys under study. Al–6%Mg-0.20%Sc-0.12%Zr (Sc/Zr = 3.3 at.%) and Al–6%Mg-0.18%Sc-0.14%Zr (Sc/Zr = 2.8 at.%) alloys exhibit the highest superplasticity. Shown that changes in the Sc/Zr ratio affect the precipitating mechanism, spatial distribution and composition of the precipitating particles Al3(ScxZr1-x). The optimal Sc/Zr ∼2.6–3.3 (at.%) ratio for the Al–6%Mg alloy corresponds to an Al3(Sc0.5Zr0.5) and Al3Sc precipitated particles. The large Al3Zr particles formed through the discontinuous precipitation mechanism was detected at Sc/Zr < 1 (at.%).

Insight into the role of Sc on microstructure, mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation resistance of NiCoCrAlSiSc alloys

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni–20Co–20Cr–2Al–1Si-xSc (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1 wt %) alloys were investigated, and the oxidation behavior of the alloys with different Sc contents at 1000°C was studied. The results indicate that NiCoCrAlSi alloy without Sc solidified into coarse columnar grains, with the addition of Sc, the grain size significantly decreased. Sc enriched at the grain boundaries of the alloy and promotes the segregation of Si and Ni towards the grain boundaries, forming the compound NiScSi. Within the range of 0∼1% (wt.%) Sc content, as the Sc content increased, there is an increase in the yield strength (σ0.2) of the alloy, a decrease in elongation, a little variation in tensile strength, and an enhancement in Vickers hardness. After cyclic oxidation at 1000°C and 120 h for alloys with different Sc contents, composite oxide films were formed on the surfaces of the alloys, but the properties and microstructure of the oxide films were significantly different. As the Sc content rised, the integrity of the oxide films was significantly improved, and the oxidation resistance of the alloys gradually enhanced at a high temperature of 1000°C.

Homogeneous Age-hardening of Large-sized Al-Sc Foams via Micro-alloying with Zr and Ti.

Al-based foams have drawn increasing attention from industry due to their integration of structure and functional properties. However, large-sized Al-based foams still cannot be homogeneously strengthened by long-time aging due to their low thermal conductivity. In this study, we proposed an age-hardening approach that was applied in large-sized Al-0.16Sc-0.17Zr (wt.%) foams via micro-alloying with Zr and Ti compared with Al-0.21Sc foams; it not only achieved homogeneous strength by long-term aging but also reduced the cost of the alloy by substituting Zr and Ti for the more expensive Sc content. The results show that the Al3(Sc, Zr, Ti) phase with a core-shell structure as a crucial precipitation strengthening phase by micro-alloying with Zr and Ti was less prone to coarsening after a prolonged aging heat treatment. Therefore, the yielding strength of Al-Sc foam micro-alloying with Zr and Ti remained almost unchanged after a maximum aging time of 1440 h due to less coarsening precipitate, which is consistent with the results of mechanical experiments. These findings provide a new way for the heat treatment strengthening of large-sized Al-based foams, thus promoting their industrial applications.

Preparation of Al-Ti-Sc master alloys and refining effects on the 6016 aluminum alloy

The 6016 aluminum alloy has good plasticity but low strength. In this work, Al-Ti-Sc master alloy was prepared by thermite reduction method in order to obtain an effective grain refiner with a simplified preparation process and a reduced cost. The refining effects of the ternary master alloy on the 6016 aluminum alloy were checked to improve the strength and plasticity simultaneously. The chemical reactions during the preparation process of the Al-Ti-Sc master alloy was studied by thermodynamic software of HSC 6.0. The content of Sc and Ti in the master alloy reaches 2.48 wt% and 1.4 wt%, respectively, on proper experimental conditions, and the main phases of the master alloys are α-Al and Al3(Sc,Ti) phase. In the refined alloys, the average grain size can reach 27 μm, and the ultimate tensile strength and the elongation after fracture reaches 280 MPa and 35% in cast state, respectively. Compared to the pristine 6016 aluminium alloy, the significantly enhanced strength and good plasticity of the refined alloys contribute to the combined effects of grain refinement and precipitated phase strengthening. For the fracture of low doped alloys, originates from cleavage fracture mechanisms, and for the ones with high dosages, ductile fracture becomes dominant.

A phenomenological thermodynamic energy density function for ferroelectric wurtzite Al1−xScxN single crystals

A Landau–Devonshire thermodynamic energy density function for ferroelectric wurtzite aluminum scandium nitride (Al1−xScxN) solid solution is developed. It is parametrized using available experimental and theoretical data, enabling the accurate reproduction of composition-dependent ferroelectric properties, such as spontaneous polarization, dielectric permittivity, and piezoelectric constants, for both bulk and thin films. The maximum concentration of Sc for the wurtzite structure to remain ferroelectric is found to be 61 at. %. A detailed analysis of Al1−xScxN thin films reveals that the ferroelectric phase transition and properties are insensitive to substrate strain. This study lays the foundation for quantitative modeling of novel ferroelectric wurtzite solid solutions.

Experimental and computational characterization of p-Sulfocalix[4]arene mediated delivery system for morin hydrate

Calix[n]arene is a class of macrocyclic compounds and has been investigated to improve the physicochemical properties of water insoluble molecules. In this work, a complex of morin hydrate (MH) drug was prepared using p-sulfocalix[4]arene (SC[4]A) as complexing agent to increase its water solubility, dissolution rate and stability. Solvent evaporation methanol was used to prepare the inclusion complex (MH-SC[4]A) between pure MH and SC[4]A and analysed by FTIR, NMR, UV, DLS, TEM, and DSC techniques. Concentration-dependent solubility study showed 22 folds enhancement of MH at 8 mM concentration of SC[4]A. The in vitro anticancer efficacy of MH against A549 cells was increased after complex formation. AO/EtBr staining study showed the more apoptosis mediated anticancer activity than native MH. Molecular geometry, stabilizing interactions, release behaviour and full-unwinding pathway of the complex were characterized by the computed Potential of Mean Force (PMF) using extended umbrella sampling. The combined computational and experimental data confirmed that our designed MH-SC[4]A complex could be utilized as a promising drug delivery carrier for hydrophobic MH.

Cast Microstructure and Crystallographic Features of Al3Sc Dendrites in High Sc-Contained Al-Sc Alloys

Al-Sc alloys containing high Sc content are employed as sputtering targets for the fabrication of high-performance piezoelectric films during magnetic sputtering. Due to the high proportion of the Al3Sc phase, their workability is quite limited, and they are often used in the as-cast state. In this study, the crystallography of Al3Sc dendrites in as-casted Al-10at.%Sc and Al-20at.%Sc samples is examined using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). With increasing Sc content, the fraction of Al3Sc also increases. The Al3Sc dendrites exhibit a cubic relationship with the Al matrix in both alloys. However, in Al-10%Sc alloys, the facets of the Al3Sc dendrites are parallel to {001} planes, while twinning is observed in Al-20at.%. The twinning plane is parallel to the {111} plane, and the dendrite growth direction aligns with the &lt;110&gt; directions. The different morphologies of the dendrite structures in these two alloys are discussed in relation to thermodynamic and kinetic considerations based on the phase diagram and nucleation rate.

Selective Recovery of Scandium (Sc) from Sulfate Solution of Bauxite Residue Leaching Using Puromet MTS9580 Ion-Exchange Sorption

Rare earth elements (REEs) and Sc are concentrated in aluminum production byproducts. The novel REEs recovery approach, which involves leaching with acid at a pH &gt; 3 in the presence of MgSO4, results in the formation of a pregnant leach solution (PLS) with a low concentration of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti) and a large number of valuable elements. This work studies the application of chelating resin Puromet MTS9580 in the sorption recovery of Sc from sulfate solutions. To analyze the static Sc sorption data, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were used. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best fitted to the experimental data, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.983. The dynamic adsorption experiment was conducted using a PLS and a simulated solution without contaminants. Adsorption of Sc from the simulated solution was better fitted to the Thomas model with a Sc capacity greater than 6.4 mg mL−1. Because Ti had a gradual decrease in C/C0, which the Thomas model was unable to simulate, the modified dose-response (MDR) model fitted better with PLS with a Sc capacity greater than 3.8 mg mL−1. The NaHCO3 solution (200 g L−1) effectively desorbed Sc (&gt;98%) from simulated and PLS solutions after 1.5 h of stirring in a batch mode. After 1.5 h of desorption, the concentration of Sc in the desorption solution was 461.5 mg L−1, while the concentration of Mg and Ti was lower than 200 mg L−1 and 50 mg L−1, respectively.

Local Environment of Sc and Y Dopant Ions in Aluminum Nitride Thin Films.

The local environments of Sc and Y in predominantly ⟨002⟩ textured, Al1-xDoxN (Do = Sc, x = 0.25, 0.30 or Y, x = 0.25) sputtered thin films with wurtzite symmetry were investigated using X-ray absorption (XAS) and photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. We present evidence from the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra that, when x = 0.25, both Sc3+ and Y3+ ions are able to substitute for Al3+, thereby acquiring four tetrahedrally coordinated nitrogen ligands, i.e., coordination number (CN) of 4. On this basis, the crystal radius of the dopant species in the wurtzite lattice, not available heretofore, could be calculated. By modeling the scandium local environment, extended XAFS (EXAFS) analysis suggests that when x increases from 0.25 to 0.30, CN for a fraction of the Sc ions increases from 4 to 6, signaling octahedral coordination. This change occurs at a dopant concentration significantly lower than the reported maximum concentration of Sc (42 mol % Sc) in wurtzite (Al, Sc)N. XPS spectra provide support for our observation that the local environment of Sc in (Al, Sc)N may include more than one type of coordination.

Life cycle assessment of a novel production route for scandium recovery from bauxite residues

Scandium (Sc) has various technological applications, but the concentrations of Sc in ores are low. Both, the mining of low concentrated Sc and the production of industrial-grade Sc are a heavy burden on the environment. Bauxite residue (BR) from alumina production represents one of the major sources of Sc in Europe (Ochsenkühn-Petropulu et al., 1994). The goal of this study is to assess the environmental impacts from cradle to gate of a novel production route developed in the Scandium Aluminium Europe project (SCALE) to extract Sc at concentrations <100 ppm from BR, to concentrate and upgrade it to pure ScF3 and Sc2O3 and ultimately to refine it to an aluminium scandium master alloy with 2 % Sc mass fraction (AlSc2 %). Results show that the global warming potential (GWP), measured in CO2-eq per kg Sc2O3, generated with the novel route is about half the GWP of the state-of-the-art Sc2O3 production from rare earth tailings when applying equal allocation principles. The initial process step to dissolve BR and extract Sc consumes elevated amounts of acid and energy and is responsible for at least 80 % of the route’s total environmental impact. The amount of the generated filter cake (FC) is equal to the amount of the BR input and is a potential resource for cement clinker production. The ecotoxicological study indicates that both FC and BR are slightly ecotoxic.