Strontium

strontium

celestine

strontianite

finchite

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Symbol: Sr
Strontium is an alkali earth metal; it does not occur in the native state.
Specific gravity: 2.6
Hardness: 1½
Colour: Silvery
Solubility: Strontium reacts vigorously with air to form SrO and Sr₂N₃; it also reacts vigorously with nitric and hydrochloric acids, forming Sr(NO₃)₂ and SrCl₂ respectively, with the emission of hydrogen. None of the solid reaction products has been found in nature.
Melting point: 777 oC
Boiling point: 1380 oC
Abundance in the Earth's crust: 370 parts per million by mass, 87 parts per million by moles (ChC).
Abundance in the Solar System: 50 parts per billion by mass, 0.7 parts per billion by moles (ChC).
In compounds strontium is generally in the oxidation state +2, as Sr²⁺. Strontium and its compounds burn with a crimson flame and are used in fireworks. The principal ores of strontium are celestine and strontianite (ChC).

Strontium-bearing minerals include:

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