Scandium Canada provides update on Scandium+ activities and development of its Al-Sc alloys

Executive Summary

• Scandium Canada is advancing the commercial adoption of its proprietary aluminum-scandium (Al-Sc) alloys through its Scandium+ division, focusing on welding wires and Wire Additive Advanced Manufacturing (WAAM).
• The company has commissioned the Centre de Métallurgie du Quebec (CMQ) to produce prototype wires, with completion expected by March 2026, followed by third-party end-user testing.
• CEO Guy Bourassa stated that confirming commercial acceptance of these alloys is a critical milestone for validating markets, volumes, and pricing to support the financial model of the Crater Lake project’s pre-feasibility study, due in June 2026.

Key Details

• Wire Prototyping: CMQ is producing wires using two proprietary Al-Sc alloy formulations for welding and WAAM trials. Completion is targeted for the end of March 2026, after which prototypes will undergo third-party testing for manufacturing specification compliance.
• Market Demand Estimate: The company estimates these specific applications could generate demand for up to 30 tonnes per year of scandium oxide (Sc2O3), addressing a currently non-existent market segment. For context, the Crater Lake Project is expected to produce 91 tonnes per year of scandium oxide.
• Gränges Collaboration: Following an MOU signed in November 2025, Scandium Canada is trialing its modified AA535 and AA7075 alloys into Gränges Powder Metallurgy’s (GPM) product offerings. GPM is a global supplier of sprayformed aluminum products and powders for additive manufacturing.
• NRC Technical Report: Through in-kind support from the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) provided a technical report identifying materials qualification strategies for alloy adoption in space (waveguides/antennas), aerospace (heat exchangers), and defense (ballistic plating).
• Commercial Outreach: Building on a fall 2025 Productique Québec report that identified 13 target applications (including welding wires, aircraft ducting, and heat exchangers), the company is expanding outreach to industrial end-users in aerospace, automotive, advanced manufacturing, and 3D printing.
• Intellectual Property: Two proprietary alloys and their fabrication methods, developed with McMaster University, are protected by an international PCT patent application filed on September 17, 2025 (building on a USPTO provisional application from September 2024).
• Technical Performance (Sept 2025 Data):
  • Modified AA535 and AA7075 alloys address micro-cracking in high-strength aluminum alloys during laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF).
  • Reduced scandium content maintains grain-refining effects.
  • Broad processing window with relative densities above 99%.
  • Ultimate tensile strengths of approximately 330 to 380 MPa in the as-built state.
  • 17–25% increase in strength after heat treatment.
  • Minimized defect density via proprietary blending procedure.

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Luc Duchesne, Head of Scandium+ division and Chief Science Officer: “We aim to find the shortest pathways for the commercialization of our alloys. On the one hand, we pursue co-development opportunities with industrial users. On the other hand, we increase our understanding of the properties of these alloys to meet specific technical requirements by end users. Because of the novelty of commercial scandium applications, we see Scandium+ as a catalyst for the scandium industry at large.”
• Mr. Guy Bourassa, CEO: “The confirmation of commercial acceptance of our alloys is an important milestone in the development of our Crater Lake project as it will confirm markets, volumes and pricing, to support the financial model of the pre-feasibility study that is due in June 2026.”