This paper describes a nanocrystalline scandium oxide powder combustion synthesis and its sintering to transparent ceramics. The effect of the fuel type on the powder characteristics was investigated. Scandium acetate and acetylacetonate as well as glycine were chosen as a fuel. The obtained scandium oxide powders were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, BET, scanning electron microscopy, and static light scattering. The best properties were observed for the powders prepared using glycine as a fuel. This product has a crystallite size of about 16 nm and a surface area of about 32 m(2)/g and could be deagglomerated under ultrasonication to submicron particles. The transparent scandium oxide ceramics was produced by vacuum microwave sintering of the glycine-derived powders with the ZrO2 and Y2O3 additives at 1750 degrees C for 3 h. (C) 2016 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.