STRONTIUM

Use

Strontium does not have as many practical uses as do some of the other alkali earth metals.Strontium nitrate [Sr(NO3)2], when burned, produces a bright red flame, and it is usedin fireworks. During military combat, it is used to make “tracer bullets” so that their pathscan be tracked at night. Strontium is also used in making specialty metals when alloyed withother metals and in the manufacture of soaps, greases, and similar materials that are resistantto extreme high or low temperatures. Elemental strontium has only minor uses, since most applications involve calcium and barium. Strontium alloys are used as “getters” for vacuum tubes. It is incorporated in glass for making picture tubes for color television. Strontium compounds are used in tracer bullets and in fireworks to produce red signal flares. Strontium titanate is a gemstone. The radioactive strontium- 90 with a half-life of 29 years is a high-energy beta emitter. It is a product of nuclear fission. This isotope is a lightweight nuclear-electric power source in space vehicles and remote weather stations.