Strontium - Compounds

Compounds

The primary use for strontium compounds is in glass for colour television cathode ray tubes to prevent X-ray emission. All parts of the CRT tube have to absorb X-rays. In the neck and the funnel of the tube, lead glass is used for this purpose, but this type of glass shows a browning effect due to the interaction of the X-rays with the glass. Therefore, the front panel has to use a different glass mixture, in which strontium and barium are the X-ray-absorbing materials. The average values for the glass mixture determined for a recycling study in 2005 is 8.5% strontium oxide and 10% barium oxide. The amount of strontium used for the production of cathode ray tube is declining because the CRTs are replaced by other display methods. This decline has a significant influence on the mining and refining of strontium.

Other applications are as follows:

• Ferrite magnets and refining zinc.
• Strontium titanate has an extremely high refractive index and an optical dispersion greater than that of diamond, making it useful in a variety of optics applications. This quality has also led to its being cut into gemstones, in particular as a diamond simulant. However, it is very soft and easily scratches so it is rarely used.
• Strontium carbonate, strontium nitrate, and strontium sulfate are commonly used in fireworks for red color, and sometimes for other colors too.
• Strontium aluminate is used as a bright phosphor with long persistence of phosphorescence.
• Strontium chloride is sometimes used in toothpastes for sensitive teeth. One popular brand includes 10% total strontium chloride hexahydrate by weight.
• Strontium oxide is sometimes used to improve the quality of some pottery glazes.
• Strontium ranelate is used in the treatment of osteoporosis. It is a prescription drug in the EU, but not in the USA.
• Strontium barium niobate can be used in outdoors holographic 3D displays as a "screen".
• Strontium phosphide is an inorganic compound with the formula Sr₃P₂ and is used as a laboratory reagent and in the manufacture of chemically reactive devices.