General Cycling Discussion - Whatever happened to Scandium?

where'd it all go? it seems to be the next great thing and now it's kinda vanished? I think Rocky Mtn. still makes a mtn and road frame/bike..but kona dropped theirs. i've seen a riser bar made by easton that was scandium..but's that about all. Is this stuff supposed to 'ride like steel, but weigh less than aluminum???'

Doesn't Merckx make a road bike of it :confused:

Edit: yeah here it is, the Team SC (http://www.cbike.com/merckx_teamsc_domo.htm)

sorry, i'm not too familiar w/ road bikes (all i know is i want one!)..but i think the 'Tomac' brand made one too..

Scandium itself isn't suitable for frame use. It's a rare earth element used in alloying aluminum. We are really talking an Aluminum frame, elementally speaking.

"Scandium" is Easton's name for its proprietary Aluminum alloy with a very small amount of scandium [and silicon and manganese, I believe, but don't quote me]. Scandium tubing is very light and strong and makes great bikes.

The problem is that there are just so many bike frame materials these days, and some -- like carbon fiber and titanium -- are just so exotic, that Scandium doesn't stand out. I mean, it's kind of hard to make aluminum -- any aluminum -- sound sexy in a titanium and carbon fiber world.

It's still out there, and there are some very fine Scandium frames, but at the end of the day, it's just another aluminum... Incidentally, Dedacciai has had the same marketing problems with its U2 aluminum...

I was curious about Scandium as well, I remember hearing that the frames had a short life. Easton (http://www.eastonbike.com/TECH_FAQ/fab_inst_sc.html) has an interesting article on their web site containing about everything one would want to know about the material.

Originally posted by velocipedio
"Scandium" is Easton's name for its proprietary Aluminum alloy with a very small amount of scandium [and silicon and manganese, I believe, but don't quote me]. Scandium tubing is very light and strong and makes great bikes.


NOPE Wrong answer!!
SC frames are mainly a AL-Zn-Mg ally with a small amount of Sc. mixed in to upgrade the molecular structure of standard Alu. alloys. Similar thinking to that of the ceramic blends used by Klien, and Specialized. Lets see who said this?
"By the way, one of the things that you learn when you go to school beyond highschool is that you have to cite your sources. I'm guessing you just forgot, right?]"

I remember hearing that the frames had a short life.

Yes, i heard that too and was confirmed when i asked a local bike shop how the warranty was on the Sc frames. Kona at the time offered a one year warranty, and Rocky Mountain didn't offer one for their frame. I guess it's got a shorter life than highend aluminum frames (Easton Ultralite Tubing). Too bad..the Rocky Team Scandium bike was around 21lbs and it had a bomber fork, raceface stem/seatpost/bar and Shimano wheels (low spoke ones) on it. Imagine that w/ a SID Race, Easton CT2, and some CrossMax wheels..umm..19.5lbs? muahahahha *drool*
(sorry, weight wienie mode came back on for a sec)

Originally posted by Hunter
NOPE Wrong answer!!
SC frames are mainly a AL-Zn-Mg ally with a small amount of Sc. mixed in...
Huh? What, exactly is your problem? That's pretty much what I said: "proprietary Aluminum alloy with a very small amount of scandium."

It may surprise you, but an aluminum alloy containing zinc and magnesium is still an aluminum alloy.

[Incidentally, SC7000. SC500, SC777 and all the other "Scandiums," are generally referred to as Scandium-Aluminum alloys. My understanding is that SC7000 is similar to 7005 aluminum in chemical composition with the addition of Scandium to provide greater strength and superplastic properties. I'm not clear on whether the Sc is alloyed or suspended.]

Originally posted by velocipedio

Huh? What, exactly is your problem? That's pretty much what I said: "proprietary Aluminum alloy with a very small amount of scandium."

It may surprise you, but an aluminum alloy containing zinc and magnesium is still an aluminum alloy.

[Incidentally, SC7000. SC500, SC777 and all the other "Scandiums," are generally referred to as Scandium-Aluminum alloys. My understanding is that SC7000 is similar to 7005 aluminum in chemical composition with the addition of Scandium to provide greater strength and superplastic properties. I'm not clear on whether the Sc is alloyed or suspended.]

You gave the alloy composition or your guess of it, and misinformed whoever was to read your post. Sc. alloy as used in bike frames does not contain silicone. I know a little more about Sc. alloys then you know. FYI the Sc contained in alloys bike frames is precisely that. I am just throwing your own words back at you.

Originally posted by Hunter
You gave the alloy composition or your guess of it, and misinformed whoever was to read your post. Sc. alloy as used in bike frames does not contain silicone. I know a little more about Sc. alloys then you know. FYI the Sc contained in alloys bike frames is precisely that. I am just throwing your own words back at you.
Whoa big fella!

I am really not following you here.

As I understand this, you took exception to my statement that "Scandium" [as in the stuff used to make bicycles frames], "'Scandium' is Easton's name for its proprietary Aluminum alloy with a very small amount of scandium [and silicon and manganese, I believe, but don't quote me]." You are quite right that the second clause of that sentence was wrong, and I apologize to anyone who went out and bought a Scandium frame because it was aluminum alloyed with manganese and silicon. First of all, I inadvertently typed "manganese" when I had intended to type "magnesium," and secondly, there is no silicon in the Scandium aluminum alloy. I was confused between 6000-series aluminum, which is alloyed with silicon and magnesium, and 7000-series aluminum which is alloyed primarily with zinc and magnesium. I'm not a metallurgist by profession, unlike Hunter, and I knew that I might be getting things a bit mixed up, which is why I wrote "I believe, but don't quote me."

For the record, "Scandium" [the metal used in bicycle frames, that is, Easton SC7000] is a 7000-series aluminum alloy containing trace amounts of Scandium. I don't believe that the Scandium is actually alloyed [I may be mistaken, but I don't think it is soluble in aluminum or zinc], but it is in particulate suspension [colloid?], not unlike the ceramnic particles in Specialized's M4 aluminum.

I do regret the error. I do hope that the confusion I caused over the composition of 6000-series and 7000-series aluminum alloyes and Easton SC7000 tubing did not affect anyone's decision to buy or not buy a Scandium frame.

I obviously know nothing about metallurgy.

By the way, I understood Velocipedo's statement, thus, included a link to the excellent article in Easton's web site. I did find the information you provided about AL alloy interesting. Also, Redline's Team cyclocross frame is "Scandium".

:beer:

That was interesting reading, Rotifer. More than I ever thought I'd know about Scandium. I'd like to ride a Scandium frame bike sometime, to see what it's like. I've been impressed by Easton's UltraLite 7005 ride quality...

Yeah, I'd like to ride one as well. Though, considering the warranties offered, I won't be buying one. :D

I ride with a guy that has a Schwinn Homegrown made out of Scandium and it is lighter than most road bikes. I have heard and read about the durability of it but this guy has had his bike for several years with no problems. Even with front suspension it is light.

A scandium Homegrown? :confused: Didn't know there was such an animal.

The local Schwinn Dealer has one for sale if your interested. It is only $3000 and is a 17" I think.

No thanks, I like my Reynolds 725.

Yes I have a Reynolds 853 road bike that I love. Maybe one of these days I will have a steel mountain bike, but for now I enjoy riding my Aluminum bike.