Dimitra

Strontium Project

4/16/20

Strontium’s history begins with its discovery in 1787, when a strange rock was found in a lead mine in Strontian, Scotland. It was initially investigated by Adair Crawford, a doctor from Edinburgh.

Through his investigation of this new substance he discovered that it was a new mineral and named it strontia. Then in 1791 Thomas Charles Hope, conducted a more extensive investigation, proving that it was indeed a new element. He was also the first to observe strontium’s bright red flame. Once officially an element, Strontium was named after Strontian, the town that it was initially discovered in. Strontium was first isolated in 1808 by English chemist Humphry Davy (Strontium).

Throughout the 19th century strontium was mainly used in terms of the “strontian process”, which is the recovery of sugar from molasses (Coudert). Strontium was discovered nearly 100 years before the creation of the periodic table, meaning in a way it helped create the periodic table and played a part in ensuring that the elements that are now found around it, are in the right places. Strontium is found in nature as it is a alkaline earth metal, most commonly being found in the minerals celestite and strontianite. Although it is a naturally occurring element, it can also be produced by electrolysis of molten strontium chloride and potassium chloride, as well as by reducing strontium oxide with aluminum using a vacuum. It is now primarily produced by China. It costs $1 per gram, and its main market falls in the category of the production of color television picture tubes (Strontium Element Facts). It is also used to refine zinc as well as make magnets when combined with iron. Strontium bonds with oxygen to create strontium oxide, a bright red flame is created when this occurs. Since it is known for its brilliant red flame, it is also used in fireworks. Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope of strontium, and is commonly seen as a product of nuclear explosions. Its half-life lasts a staggering 28 years meaning it is deadly and thanks to its ability to mimic the structure of calcium it can be absorbed it to the skeletal system, and accumulate over time. More recently, strontium was used in by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany created a safe firework display for soldiers in training and battlefield operations to use as signaling devices (Pulidinidi, Chakraborty).

Although it might not seem like we encounter strontium on a daily basis, small doses of it can be found in foods such as; spices, seafoods, whole grains, root and leafy vegetables, and legumes. These doses are not enough to make a difference in our bodies but they can contribute to its effects. Specialists are not sure if strontium has good effects on our bodies, some say that it has helped increase the bone density in patients with osteoporosis and can be taken as a preventative and reparative supplement: “More than 50 years of clinical research indicates the mineral strontium can help prevent osteoporosis – but also helps the body repair existing damage.” Dr. Dana Myatt, NMD (Myatt). Other specialists believe that the side effects of strontium outweigh the benefits: “There were, however, significant increases in both heart attacks and blood clots (including pulmonary embolism) in patients taking strontium ranelate compared to those who were not. Strontium ranelate is associated with other harmful effects, including serious skin reactions, disturbances in thinking, seizures, liver inflammation, and reduced numbers of red blood cells”

(FitzGerald). Although strontium seems to have many benefits when it comes to bone health, there are other supplements and treatments that have similar benefits without the life threatening effects.

Orbital Diagram:

Strontium is a soft, silvery-white metal, that burns in the air, and reacts when it comes into contact with water. It remains in solid form at room temperature, while its melting point is 777°C, and its boiling point comes in at 1382°C. Strontium weighs 2.63 grams per cubic centimeter, and its atomic weight is 87.62 g/mol (Strontium). Strontium lies in the second column of the periodic table and falls under the group of alkaline earth metals. It is directly underneath calcium, to its left is rubidium, to it’s right is yttrium, and underneath it is Barium. Calcium and strontium have similar characteristics, as it mimics calcium’s structure and can end up in our bodies as a result of this. Rubidium, yttrium, and barium all belong to the same group as strontium. Its density is 2.64 g/cm 3 , its electrical conductivity is 7.7×106 s/m. Strontium is water soluble, but as mentioned before, it reacts with water, resulting in the burning of a red flame (Technical data…).

Works Cited:

Coudert, François-Xavier. “Strontium’s scarlet sparkles” nature chemistry. 22 October 2015. n.p. Web. 26

April 2020.

Dr. Dana Myatt, NMD. “Strontium – The Missing Mineral For Strong Bones” ProHealth. n.d. N.p. Web.

27 September 2009.

FitzGerald, Pat. “Why Strontium Is Not Advised for Bone Health” American Bone Health. n.d. n.p. Web.

28 September 2019.

Pulidindi, Kiran, Chakraborty, Soumalya. “Strontium Market Forcast” Global Market Insights. November

2018. Web. 26 April 2020.

“Strontium Element Facts” Chemicool. 24 July 2015. Web.

“Strontium” rsc. n.d. Web. 15 April 2020.

“Technical data for Strontium” PeriodicTable. n.d. n.p. Web. 15 April 2020.