Thermodynamic calculations of the interaction of scandium halides with aluminum

The fundamental characteristics of the reduction of scandium trifluoride and trichloride with aluminum were studied by thermodynamic modeling over wide temperature and pressure ranges (1100–1400 K and 1–10⁶ Pa for ScF₃ and 800–1200 K and 1–10⁵ Pa for ScCl₃). Calculations of the equilibrium compositions of the systems were performed to draw conclusions about the contents of condensed and gaseous components and determine the temperatures of the complete reduction of trihalides with the formation of a two-phase alloy containing a saturated solution of scandium in aluminum and the Al₃Sc intermetallic compound. The results of modeling were in agreement with the available experimental data.