Strontium nitrate

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Strontium nitrate

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Molar mass	Template:Ubl
Appearance	white crystalline solid
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Solubility in ammonia	soluble
Solubility in ethanol	slightly soluble
Solubility in acetone	slightly soluble
Solubility in nitric acid	insoluble
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Strontium nitrate is an inorganic compound composed of the elements strontium, nitrogen and oxygen with the formula Template:Chem2. This colorless solid is used as a red colorant and oxidizer in pyrotechnics.

Preparation

Strontium nitrate is typically generated by the reaction of nitric acid with strontium carbonate.

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File:Strontium Carbonate and Nitric acid.jpg

The reaction of nitric acid and strontium carbonate to form strontium nitrate

Uses

Like many other strontium salts, strontium nitrate is used to produce a rich red flame in fireworks and road flares. Its strength as an oxidizer, which eliminates the need for large amounts of an additional chlorine-containing oxidizer, makes extremely pure colors in the orange-red to red color range attainable with simple compositions.

Strontium nitrate can aid in eliminating and lessening skin irritations. When mixed with glycolic acid, strontium nitrate reduces the sensation of skin irritation significantly better than using glycolic acid alone.

Biochemistry

As a divalent ion with an ionic radius similar to that of Template:Chem2 (1.13 Å and 0.99 Å respectively), Template:Chem2 ions mimic calcium's ability to traverse calcium-selective ion channels and trigger neurotransmitter release from nerve endings. It is thus used in electrophysiology experiments.