Scandium carbonate, Sc₂(CO₃)₃

Scandium carbonate, Sc₂(CO₃)₃.12H₂O, is obtained as a white, bulky precipitate when a soluble carbonate is added to a scandium salt. It has the above composition when air-dried. Scandium carbonate is rather unstable, and when dried at 100° it loses a little carbon dioxide (Crookes).

Scandium carbonate dissolves in hot aqueous sodium or ammonium carbonate. When these solutions are boiled, difficultly soluble scandium sodium carbonate, Sc₂(CO₃)₃.4Na₂CO₃.6H₂O, and scandium ammonium carbonate, 2Sc₂(CO₃)₃.(NH₄)₂CO₃.6H₂O, are obtained as crystalline precipitates. These double carbonates dissolve without decomposition in a large volume of cold water, but when the solutions are boiled, basic salts or hydroxide separate (R. J. Meyer and Winter).