Scandium Canada (TSX-V:SCD) has partnered with the University of Windsor to evaluate aluminium-scandium (Al-Sc) alloy wire for use in electric vehicle (EV) traction motors, as the company seeks to advance potential commercial applications for the lightweight material.
The research will be carried out with the university’s Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy (CHARGE) and will assess the performance, durability, practicality, and cost-effectiveness of Al-Sc alloy wire in traction motor applications.
Scandium Canada will develop and supply the alloy wire for testing, while CHARGE will undertake electrical simulation, motor testing, and wire coating development. The partners will also benchmark the material against conventional copper wire and conduct mechanical, electrical, and heat-resistance testing.
The project will evaluate whether aluminium-scandium alloys can meet the performance requirements of electric traction motors, where conductor weight, thermal performance, and mechanical strength influence motor efficiency and vehicle range.
Should the research identify commercial opportunities, the companies intend to formalise collaboration agreements, with any resulting technologies to be commercialised through Scalium+, Scandium Canada’s specialised alloys subsidiary.
“This collaboration puts our R&D infrastructure on aluminium-scandium alloys directly in front of one of North America’s leading electric powertrain teams,” Scalium+ CEO Félix Lapointe says.
“It is a concrete step toward technical and commercial validation of our aluminium-scandium wire concept for powertrains, and it advances on the strength of the science.”
Scandium Canada Strategic Advisor Mark Kozdras says that early testing suggested aluminium-scandium alloys could offer a lighter alternative to copper while maintaining the mechanical properties needed for motor windings.
“Preliminary results tell a consistent story. Copper is the reference conductor in electric motors, but it is heavy; aluminium delivers comparable conductance at roughly half the weight,” he explains.
“Minor additions of scandium to aluminium alloys significantly increase their strength, and the alloy remains malleable enough to draw into wire and form into windings. The work with the CHARGE lab at the University of Windsor will validate aluminium-scandium performance where it counts.”
The partners also expect to seek additional research grant funding to support further development of the technology.
Scandium Canada is a critical minerals company developing North America’s only primary scandium source at its Crater Lake Project in Québec.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy
