STRONTIUM (SR)

last update 01 oct 08

* Strontium is a member of the alkaline earth metals family:

alkaline earth metals in the periodic table

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   STRONTIUM / Sr / 38

   A silvery, white, relatively soft, easily corroded metal.  Four
   isotopes are found in nature:

     Sr<88/38> / 82.5%
     Sr<86/38> / 10%
     Sr<87/38> /  7%
     Sr<84/38> /  0.5%

   All are stable.

     atomic weight:       87.62
     abundance:           16th 
     density:             2.54 g/cc
     melting point:       769 C
     boiling point:       1,384 C
     valence:             2
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Over a hundred thousand tonnes of strontium are produced each year. Although that is a fairly large quantity, it is not all that important economically. It is used in glass production, and its oxides are used in pyrotechnics to produce a distinctive red light. Another application is as a radioactive tracer, using the unstable isotope Sr<87/38>, which has a half-life of 2.8 hours and does not accumulate in the body. The radioactive isotope Sr<90/38>, with a half-life of 29 years, is a notorious constituent of radioactive fallout.