The optical absorption, temperature dependence of emission spectra, prompt nanosecond decays and millisecond delayed recombination decays for Pr3+ center in Lu0.8Sc0.2BO3 host were studied. The photoluminescence decay time decreases from 16 ns (80 K) to 11 ns (300 K), but its steady-state emission intensity at 300 K is stronger than that at 80 K and towards higher temperatures is further decreasing comparatively much less with respect to the decay time shortening, which was proved to be associated with the thermal ionization processes occurring from 5d(1) relaxed state of Pr3+. The quantitative parameters governing the ionization processes were calculated. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.