Why Scandium is Known as the "Bright Son" in the Chemical Industry

Scandium metal can be used to make scandium sodium lamps, which can bring light to thousands of households. This is a metal halide light source: sodium iodide and scandium iodide are filled into a light bulb, and scandium and sodium foil are added at the same time. During high-voltage discharge, scandium ions and sodium ions emit light of their characteristic emission wavelengths, respectively. The spectral lines of sodium are two famous yellow rays, 589.0 nm and 589.6 nm, while the spectral lines of scandium are a series of near ultraviolet and blue light emitted at 361.3~424.7 nm. As they complement each other, the overall color produced is white light. It is precisely because scandium sodium lamps have the characteristics of high luminous efficiency, good light color, energy-saving, long service life, and strong ability to break fog that they can be widely used in television cameras, squares, sports venues, and road lighting, and are known as the third-generation light source.

Scandium metal can also be used to make solar photovoltaic cells, which can collect the light scattered on the ground and turn it into electricity to drive human society. Scandium is the best blocking metal in metal insulator semiconductor silicon solar cells and solar cells.

Scandium metal can also be used γ A radiation source that can emit light on its own, but this kind of light is not visible to the naked eye and is a high-energy photon stream. What we usually extract from minerals is 45Sc, which is the only natural isotope of scandium. Each 45Sc nucleus contains 21 protons and 24 neutrons. If we put scandium in a nuclear reactor and let it absorb neutron radiation, just like putting a monkey in the alchemy furnace of the Supreme Lord for seven, seven, and forty-nine days, 46Sc with an additional neutron in the nucleus would be born. 46Sc, an artificial radioactive isotope, can be used as γ Radiation sources or tracer atoms can also be used for radiotherapy of malignant tumors.