Although scandium forms very few useful compounds, it is very useful when alloyed with aluminum. Scandium alloys were first used by the Soviet Union in the '70s to make fins for rockets strong enough to be fired through the arctic ice sheet, a feat which the many Americans had thought impossible. Because the only major scandium mine in the world is located in Ukraine scandium was solely used by the Soviet military until the end of the Cold War in 1991.
Today scandium is used by the military and aerospace industry, and is also used for sporting goods by Easton. Easton started experimenting with scandium aluminum alloys in 1996, and in 1997 started selling its first scandium product, a baseball bat. In 1999 the worlds first scandium aluminum bike came onto the market and scandium alloys are now used on many high-end (more than $3000) bicycles. Scandium tubing is useful as a frame material because of its light weight, resistance to corrosion, and unique grain properties, which allow it to be stiff in some places and pliant in others, making for a more comfortable bike.