Strontium is a chemical element with the symbol Sr and atomic number 38. It is a soft, silvery-white metal that is found in the Earth's crust in small quantities.
Sources of Strontium:
Celestine: Strontium is primarily extracted from the mineral celestine, which contains up to 5% strontium.
Other minerals: Strontium can also be found in other minerals such as strontianite and strontium sulfate, and can be extracted from these minerals using a variety of methods.
Uses of Strontium:
Pyrotechnics: Strontium is used in pyrotechnics to produce red flames and to produce flares for signaling purposes.
Fireworks: Strontium is used in fireworks to produce a red color in the flames.
Oil Drilling: Strontium is used in oil drilling to measure the density of drilling muds, which are used to lubricate drill bits and to remove cuttings from the borehole.
Medical Applications: Strontium is used in medical applications, such as the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone diseases.
Metallurgy: Strontium is used in metallurgy as a deoxidizing agent, to remove oxygen from metal alloys.
Production of Strontium:
Chemical Reduction: Strontium can be produced by the chemical reduction of strontium compounds, such as strontium chloride or strontium hydroxide.
Electrometallurgy: Strontium can also be produced by electrometallurgical processes, where the metal is extracted from its ores by electrolysis.
Properties of Strontium:
Physical Properties: Strontium is a soft, silvery-white metal that is highly reactive and easily tarnished in air.
Chemical Properties: Strontium is highly reactive and readily forms compounds with other elements.
Extract: Strontium is extracted from celestine and other minerals using methods such as chemical reduction and electrometallurgical processes. Strontium compounds, such as strontium chloride and strontium hydroxide, can be obtained by chemical reactions with other elements.