Strontium

Under the atomic number 38 in the table of D.I. Mendeleev is a chemical element - strontium. It is an element of group II of the main subgroup .

A simple substance is a soft, malleable and ductile silver-white alkaline earth metal. The element has a high chemical activity. In air, it quickly reacts with moisture and oxygen, becoming covered with a yellow oxide film .

Strontium does not occur in free form, mainly in the form of minerals. (part of about 40). The most important of these is celestine SrSO ₄ .

Application area

The main areas of application of strontium and its chemical compounds are the radio-electronic industry, pyrotechnics, metallurgy, and the food industry .

In the metallurgical industry, strontium is used as a deoxidizer and a refining additive for copper .

Strontium purity (99.99-99.999%) is used to reduce uranium .

The isotope of strontium ⁸⁹ Sr is used in medicine as an antitumor agent .

Strontium compounds are also widely used :

Nitrate, oxalate and carbonate of strontium are widely used in pyrotechnics for tracer bullets, projectiles and flares, because. they turn the flame carmine red when flashing .

Strontium oxide is used as a component of superconducting ceramics, and as part of a solid solution of barium and calcium oxides, it is used as an active layer of indirectly heated cathodes in vacuum electronic devices .

Strontium fluoride is used as a component of solid state fluorine batteries with high energy capacity and energy density .

Strontium oxide and phosphate are constituents of optical glasses .