Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Physchim62 (talk | contribs) at 09:41, 16 December 2005 (→Uses: more uses from de:Strontiumchlorid). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Strontium chloride hexahydrate
IUPAC name Strontium chloride
General
Molecular formula	SrCl2
Molecular weight	158.53 amu (anhydrous) 266.62 amu (hexahydrate)
Appearance	White crystalline solid
CAS number	(anhydrous) (hexahydrate)
MSDS	Strontium chloride MSDS
Other names
Strontium(II) chloride
Bulk properties
Density	3.052 g/cm (anhydrous, monoclinic form) 1.672 g/cm (dihydrate) 1.930 g/cm (hexahydrate)
Solubility	water: 53.8 g/100 cm (20 °C) ethanol: very slightly soluble acetone: very slightly soluble
Melting point	874 °C (1147 K)
Boiling point	1250 °C (1520 K)
Hazards:	Irritant
Structure
Coordination geometry	octahedral (six-coordinate)
Crystal structure	Deformed TiO2
Hydrates	dihydrate (rare) hexahydrate
Related compounds
strontium fluoride strontium bromide strontium iodide	calcium chloride barium chloride

Strontium chloride (SrCl₂) is a salt of strontium and chlorine. It is ionic and water-soluble. It is less toxic than barium chloride, though more toxic than calcium chloride. It emits a bright red colour when heated in a flame.

Chemical Properties

Strontium chloride is a typical ionic metal salt, and it can be used as a source of other strontium compounds such as strontium chromate:

SrCl₂(aq) + Na₂CrO₄(aq) → SrCrO₄(s) + 2 NaCl(aq)

SrCl₂ always acts as a simple salt, and it is completely neutral in solution.

Preparation

Strontium chloride can be prepared from strontium hydroxide or strontium carbonate reacting with hydrochloric acid:

Sr(OH)₂(aq) + 2 HCl(aq) → SrCl₂(aq) + 2 H₂O(aq)

It can also be prepared by the union of the elements, strontium and chlorine.

Uses

There are no major uses for strontium chloride, though it can be used to prepare less common compounds of strontium. Like barium chloride it can be used to test for sulfate ion, though not at such low concentration, since strontium sulfate is more soluble than barium sulfate.

SrCl₂(aq) + SO₄(aq) → SrSO₄(s) + 2 Cl(aq)

Strontium chloride is occasionally used as a flame coloring agent (red) in pyrotechnics, and in small quantities in glass making and metallurgy. It is added to some toothpastes to reduce periodontal disease, and is used in homeopathic medicine under the name of strontium chlorii.

The radioactive isotope strontium-89 is usually administered in the form of strontium chloride: it is used for the treatment of bone cancer.

Sea water aquaria must add small amounts of strontium chloride to the water, as it is consumed in the production of the exoskeletons of certain plankton.

Precautions

Although much less toxic than barium chloride, strontium chloride should still be handled with care.

Suppliers/Manufacturers

• VWR International
• Strem Chemicals
• Alfa Aesar
• Sigma-Aldrich
• Fisher Scientific

References

1. N. N. Greenwood, A. Earnshaw, Chemistry of the Elements, Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 1984
2. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 71st edition, CRC Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1990
3. The Merck Index, 7th edition, Merck & Co., Rahway, New Jersey, 1960

• Chlorides
• Strontium compounds
• Metal halides