It is used in the preparation of other scandium compounds as well as in high-temperature systems (for its resistance to heat and thermal shock), electronic ceramics, and glass composition (as a helper material).
Scandium-rich ores, such as thortveitite (Sc,Y)2(Si2O7) and kolbeckite ScPO4·2H2O are rare, however trace amounts of scandium are present in many other minerals.
Scandium oxide reacts with most acids upon heating, to produce the expected hydrated product.
This can be rendered anhydrous by evaporation to dryness in the presence of NH4Cl, with the mixture then being purified by removal of NH4Cl by sublimation at 300-500 °C.
Likewise, it is converted into hydrated scandium(III) triflate (Sc(OTf)3·nH2O) by a reaction with triflic acid.