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. These were the first superconducting materials to function at liquid nitrogen temperatures. More than 15 tons of the oxide are now produced each year.
Yttrium metal is ductile and silvery.
Powdered samples and turnings from machining can burst into flame. Most commercial yttrium is produced from monazite sands which are also the source for most of the rare earth elements. That is an apt description since lanthanum generally occurs along with other so-called rare earth elements and is very difficult to separate. The abundance of the metal is similar to that of zinc or nickel. The pure metal is silvery white and malleable.