Isolated by Davey by electrolysis in 1808; however, Adair Crawford in 1790 recognized a new mineral (strontianite) as differing from other barium minerals (baryta).Strontium is found chiefly as celestite (SrSO4) and strontianite (SrCO3). The metal can be prepared by electrolysis of the fused chloride mixed withpotassium chloride, or is made by reducing strontium oxide with aluminum in a vacuum at a temperature at which strontium distills off. Three allotropicforms of the metal exist, with transition points at 235 and 540°C. Strontium is softer than calcium and decomposes water more vigorously. It does notabsorb nitrogen below 380°C. It should be kept under mineral oil to prevent oxidation. Freshly cut strontium has a silvery appearance, but rapidly turnsa yellowish color with the formation of the oxide. The finely divided metal ignites spontaneously in air. Volatile strontium salts impart a beautifulcrimson color to flames, and these salts are used in pyrotechnics and in the production of flares. Natural strontium is a mixture of four stable isotopes.Twenty six other unstable isotopes and isomers are known to exist. Of greatest importance is 90Sr with a half-life of 29 years. It is a product of nuclearfallout and presents a health problem. This isotope is one of the best long-lived high-energy beta emitters known, and is used in SNAP (Systems forNuclear Auxiliary Power) devices. These devices hold promise for use in space vehicles, remote weather stations, navigational buoys, etc., where alightweight, long-lived, nuclear-electric power source is needed. The major use for strontium at present is in producing glass for color television picturetubes. It has also found use in producing ferrite magnets and in refining zinc. Strontium titanate is an interesting optical material as it has an extremelyhigh refractive index and an optical dispersion greater than that of diamond. It has been used as a gemstone, but it is very soft. It does not occur naturally.Strontium metal (99% pure) costs about $1/g while the metal, 99.95% pure, sells for about $10/g. 1

• "used in fireworks and flares, which show the characteristic red glow of strontium in a flame." 2

Melting Point:3*  777 °C = 1050.15 K = 1430.6 °F
Boiling Point:3* 1382 °C = 1655.15 K = 2519.6 °F
Sublimation Point:3 
Triple Point:3 
Critical Point:3 
Density:4  2.64 g/cm3

* - at 1 atm

Electron Configuration

Bonding

Thermochemistry

Isotopes

Earth - Source Compounds: carbonates/sulfates 15
Earth - Seawater: 7.2 mg/L 16
Earth -  Crust:  370 mg/kg = 0.037% 16
Earth -  Total:  14.5 ppm 17
Mercury -  Total:  1.11 ppm 17
Venus -  Total:  15.2 ppm 17
Chondrites - Total: 20 (relative to 106 atoms of Si) 18
Human Body - Total: 0.00046% 19

Material Safety Data Sheet - ACI Alloys, Inc.

External Links:

Journals:
(1) Vaughan T. Bowen and T. T. Sugihara, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 43, 576-580 (1957)
(2) Dasch, Hills and Turekian, Science 153, 295-297 (1966)
(3) A. R. Johnson, W. D. Armstrong and Leon Singer, Science 153, 1396-1397 (1966)

(1) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:29-4:30.
(2) - Whitten, Kenneth W., Davis, Raymond E., and Peck, M. Larry. General Chemistry 6th ed.; Saunders College Publishing: Orlando, FL, 2000; p 931.
(3) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:132.
(4) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:39-4:96.
(5) - Dean, John A. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 11th ed.; McGraw-Hill Book Company: New York, NY, 1973; p 4:8-4:149.
(6) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 10:147-10:148.
(7) - Speight, James. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 16th ed.; McGraw-Hill Professional: Boston, MA, 2004; p 1:132.
(8) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 10:178 - 10:180.
(9) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:133.
(10) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:193, 12:219-220.
(11) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:123-6:137.
(12) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:107-6:122.
(13) - Dean, John A. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 12th ed.; McGraw-Hill Book Company: New York, NY, 1979; p 9:4-9:94.
(14) - Atomic Mass Data Center. http://amdc.in2p3.fr/web/nubase_en.html (accessed July 14, 2009).
(15) - Silberberg, Martin S. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, 4th ed.; McGraw-Hill Higher Education: Boston, MA, 2006, p 965.
(16) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 14:17.
(17) - Morgan, John W. and Anders, Edward, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 6973-6977 (1980)
(18) - Brownlow, Arthur. Geochemistry; Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1979, pp 15-16.
(19) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 7:17.