Strontium sulfate is a s alt that consists of an acid residue of sulfuric acid and strontium with a valence of two. The formula of this compound is: SrSO4. You can also use another name for the presented compound, such as strontium sulfate.
Being in nature
Strontium sulfate is found in nature in the form of a mineral - celestine. This name translates as "heavenly". It was first discovered back in the eighteenth century in Sicily, which is why the mineral bears this name.
This mineral is mined in Canada, Austria, and large deposits are located in the Ural Mountains.
Crystals of this mineral are large plates and prisms. They can also be in the form of various columns. Celestine is a filling component in rocks, large and small cracks, but, in addition, it is able to get to the surface and make up the rock crust. Most often, they search for a mineral in sedimentary rocks, which means that it is enoughoften it can be found at the bottom of the seas and oceans.
Most often this mineral has a blue tint, but there are colorless and grayish, as well as yellowish-brown samples.
Receive
One of the features of such a metal as strontium is that this element does not show active reactivity when interacting with concentrated acids. But at the same time, it quickly and actively combines with sufficiently diluted acids. It also shows its activity with weak representatives of acids. Therefore, dilute sulfuric acid is used to obtain this compound.
It is also possible to obtain a precipitate of strontium sulfate by an exchange reaction with a water-soluble s alt containing an acid residue of sulfuric acid. The resulting precipitate is a fairly fine white powder, which can then be easily cleaned with water.
Solubility of strontium sulfate
This compound is sparingly soluble. The solubility at 18 degrees Celsius is 11.4 mg in 100 grams of water. It is known that the solubility of most compounds increases with increasing temperature. For strontium sulfate, the following relationship is observed: with an increase in temperature from 10 to 70 degrees Celsius, this ability increases by 1.5 times.
Solubility can be accelerated by adding, for example, chloride ions. This phenomenon is called the s alt effect. It lies in the fact that the solubility of poorly soluble substances, such as, in thiscase, strontium sulfate rises if a s alt is added to it, which would not have common ions with a sparingly soluble compound.
Connection Properties
Strontium sulfate can react with other s alts such as potassium sulfate or ammonium sulfate to form double s alts.
The crystal structure of this compound has two modifications. One of them is rhombic, which can exist under normal conditions up to a temperature of 1152 degrees Celsius, and with stronger heating it becomes monoclinic.
Application
Strontium sulfate is part of the electrolytes used to produce wear-resistant materials. This compound is taken in some excess, since in a mixture with chromium anhydride and potassium fluorosilicone, an electrolytic composition is obtained that fully meets the requirements that apply to the necessary material.
Strontium sulfate is also used in the paint industry. It is worth noting that strontium ions, which are included in the compounds, color the flame red. This property is used in various fillers for fireworks and salutes.
In addition, strontium sulfate is used as an oxidizing agent that can be used at high temperature.
