Strontium Carbonate Supplier in South Africa

What Is Strontium Carbonate?

Strontium carbonate (SrCO₃), the mineral strontianite in its natural form, is a white odourless powder that decomposes on heating to strontium oxide and carbon dioxide. It is sparingly soluble in water but dissolves readily in dilute acids. Strontium carbonate is a key strontium source across the electronics, pyrotechnics, ceramic ferrite, and specialty glass sectors, where its strontium content imparts unique electronic, optical, and combustion properties.

Electronic Ceramics & Ferrite Magnets

Strontium carbonate is the primary strontium source in the manufacture of strontium ferrite (SrFe₁₂O₁₉) permanent magnets, which are the world’s most produced magnets by volume. Strontium ferrite magnets are used in loudspeakers, DC motors for automotive ancillaries, magnetic door seals, magnetic holding systems, and MRI gradients. They offer excellent coercivity, resistance to demagnetisation, and low manufacturing cost relative to rare-earth alternatives.

Pyrotechnics & Colour Television Glass

Strontium compounds produce an intense crimson-red colour when burned in pyrotechnic compositions. Strontium carbonate is used in red signal flares, red star compositions for fireworks and theatrical effects, and in emergency distress signals. In glass manufacturing, strontium carbonate was historically added to colour television cathode ray tube (CRT) glass to absorb X-ray emissions, and it continues to be used in specialty optical and photochromic glass compositions.

Specialty Ceramics & Chemical Synthesis

Strontium carbonate is a precursor to strontium titanate (SrTiO₃), a perovskite ceramic with applications in microwave tunable resonators, high-k dielectric capacitors, and as a diamond simulant with higher refractive index than cubic zirconia. It is also a starting material for strontium salts used in pharmaceutical, dental, and analytical applications, and in the production of strontium aluminate (SrAl₂O₄), the basis of long-lasting phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark materials.