Chemical Properties
Milky white free flowing powder
Physical properties
White orthorhombic crystals; refractive index 1.518; hygroscopic; hardness 3.5 Mohs; density 3.5 g/cm3; insoluble in water; soluble in dilute acids with liberation of carbon dioxide.
Occurrence
Strontium carbonate occurs in nature as mineral strontianite. The compound is used in pyrotechnics and ceramic ferrites. It also is used in making iridescent glass for color television tubes. Other uses are in refining sugar and preparing other strontium salts.
Definition
strontianite: A mineral form ofstrontium carbonate, SrCO3.
Definition
strontium carbonate: A whitesolid, SrCO3; orthorhombic; r.d. 3.7;decomposes at 1340°C. It occurs naturallyas the mineral strontianite andis prepared industrially by boiling celestine(strontium sulphate) with ammoniumcarbonate. It can also beprepared by passing carbon dioxideover strontium oxide or hydroxide orby passing the gas through a solutionof strontium salt. It is a phosphor,used to coat the glass of cathode-rayscreens, and is also used in the refiningof sugar, as a slagging agent incertain metal furnaces, and to providea red flame in fireworks.
Preparation
Strontium carbonate occurs in nature as strontianite
and can be mined from its deposit. It is, however,
usually made commercially from the mineral “celestite”.
Celestite is fused with sodium carbonate at elevated
temperatures or boiled with a solution of ammonium
carbonate.Strontium carbonate is insoluble in water. It precipitates
from the product mixture in the second reaction.
If fused with sodium carbonate, the product mixture is
leached with water. Insoluble carbonate separates from
the water-soluble sodium sulfate.
