Strontium carbonate
Encyclopedia
Strontium carbonate is the carbonate salt of strontium that has the appearance of a white or grey powder. It occurs in nature as the mineral strontianite
.
, it is a weak base and therefore is reactive with acids. It is otherwise stable and safe to work with. It is practically insoluble in water (1 part in 100,000). The solubility
is increased significantly if the water is saturated with carbon dioxide
, to 1 part in 1,000. It is soluble in dilute acids.
(SrSO4) or by using soluble strontium
salts by the reaction in solution with a soluble carbonate salt (usually sodium or ammonium carbonates). For example if sodium carbonate was used in solution with strontium nitrate
:
Sr(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq) → SrCO3 (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq).
Strontium carbonate is used for electronic applications. It is used for manufacturing CTV to absorb electrons resulting from the cathode
.
It is used in the preparation of iridescent glass, luminous paints, strontium oxide or strontium salts and in refining sugar.
It is widely used in the ceramics industry as an ingredient in glazes. It acts as a flux and also modifies the color of certain metallic oxides. It has some properties similar to barium carbonate
.
It is also used in the manufacturing of strontium ferrites
for permanent magnets which are used in loud speaker
s and door magnets.
Because of its status as a weak Lewis base, strontium carbonate can be used to produce many different strontium compounds by simple use of the corresponding acid.
Strontianite
Strontianite is an important raw material for the extraction of strontium. It is a rare carbonate mineral and one of only a few strontium minerals...
.
Chemical properties
Strontium carbonate is a white, odorless, tasteless powder. Being a carbonateCarbonate
In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, . The name may also mean an ester of carbonic acid, an organic compound containing the carbonate group C2....
, it is a weak base and therefore is reactive with acids. It is otherwise stable and safe to work with. It is practically insoluble in water (1 part in 100,000). The solubility
Solubility
Solubility is the property of a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical substance called solute to dissolve in a solid, liquid, or gaseous solvent to form a homogeneous solution of the solute in the solvent. The solubility of a substance fundamentally depends on the used solvent as well as on...
is increased significantly if the water is saturated with carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
, to 1 part in 1,000. It is soluble in dilute acids.
Preparation
Other than the natural occurrence as a mineral, strontium carbonate is prepared synthetically in one of two manners. First of which is from naturally occurring celestine also known as strontium sulfateStrontium sulfate
Strontium sulfate is the sulfate salt of strontium. It is a white crystalline powder and occurs in nature as the mineral celestine. It is poorly soluble in water to the extent of 1 part in 8,800. It is more soluble in dilute HCl and nitric acid and appreciably soluble in alkali chloride solutions...
(SrSO4) or by using soluble strontium
Strontium
Strontium is a chemical element with the symbol Sr and the atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, strontium is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element that is highly reactive chemically. The metal turns yellow when exposed to air. It occurs naturally in the minerals celestine and...
salts by the reaction in solution with a soluble carbonate salt (usually sodium or ammonium carbonates). For example if sodium carbonate was used in solution with strontium nitrate
Strontium nitrate
Strontium nitrate is an inorganic compound with the formula Sr2. This colourless solid is used as an colorant in pyrotechnics.- Preparation:Strontium nitrate is typically generated by the reaction of nitric acid on strontium carbonate.....
:
Sr(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq) → SrCO3 (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq).
Uses
The most common use is as an inexpensive colorant in fireworks. Strontium and its salts emit a brilliant red color in flame. Unlike other strontium salts, the carbonate salt is generally preferred because of its cost and the fact that it is not hygroscopic. Its ability to neutralize acid is also very helpful in pyrotechnics. Another similar application is in road flares.Strontium carbonate is used for electronic applications. It is used for manufacturing CTV to absorb electrons resulting from the cathode
Cathode
A cathode is an electrode through which electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device. Mnemonic: CCD .Cathode polarity is not always negative...
.
It is used in the preparation of iridescent glass, luminous paints, strontium oxide or strontium salts and in refining sugar.
It is widely used in the ceramics industry as an ingredient in glazes. It acts as a flux and also modifies the color of certain metallic oxides. It has some properties similar to barium carbonate
Barium carbonate
Barium carbonate , also known as witherite, is a chemical compound used in rat poison, bricks, ceramic glazes and cement.Witherite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system...
.
It is also used in the manufacturing of strontium ferrites
Ferrite (magnet)
Ferrites are chemical compounds consisting of ceramic materials with iron oxide as their principal component. Many of them are magnetic materials and they are used to make permanent magnets, ferrite cores for transformers, and in various other applications.Many ferrites are spinels with the...
for permanent magnets which are used in loud speaker
Loud Speaker
Loud Speaker is a play by American playwright John Howard Lawson. It was first produced by the New Playwrights' Theatre at the 52nd Street Theatre in New York, opening on March 2 1927. Harry Wagstaff Gribble directed, Mordecai Gorelik designed the sets, Eugene L. Berton composed its music, and...
s and door magnets.
Because of its status as a weak Lewis base, strontium carbonate can be used to produce many different strontium compounds by simple use of the corresponding acid.
External links
- http://ceramic-materials.com/cermat/material/1609.html Reference page at CeramicMaterials.Info
- International Chemical Safety Card 1695