TRU Group Strontium Metal & Alloys
WHITEPAPER
Developments + Applications + Availability + ExpertsPure Strontium metal is obtained by reduction of strontium oxide at high temperature and under vacuum. Strontium metal (99% minimum purity) is used for the production of Aluminum-Strontium master alloys. The use of strontium metal has expanded since the early nineties. A new high strontium containing alloy is available. It is a strontium 90%-aluminum 10% alloy of an eutectic composition for the modification of aluminum-silicon casting alloys. The main characteristics of the alloy are:
- Chemistry: Sr: 85-95% ; Al: Balance
- Melting point: 580°C
- Sizes: 25g, 50g, 100g
It is well documented that Strontium modification changes the morphology of the eutectic silicon phase in Al-Si alloys from a coarse acicular to a fine fibrous structure. It is precisely the fine fibrous structure that allows for significant advantages in modified alloys over unmodified alloys such as:
- Improved Mechanical Properties (TS, YS, %E)
- Improved Impact Strength
- Shrinkage distribution allowing for higher integrity castings
- Less porosity
- Improved Thermal Conductivity
- Improved Electrical Conductivity
- Finer and more compact Microstructure
- Better Machinability
The few commercial-scale strontium plants in the west have closed and China now dominates strontium supply. Timminco Metals had the only commercial scale metal plant, located in Canada, and Pechiney Corporation a small plant in France... TRU Group meantime have strong expertise in the extraction of strontium from brine and by 2020 have undertaken several strontium assignments including in strontium extraction, mineral beneficiation, strontium carbonate and strontium smelter engineering.
TRU has probably the western world's strongest capabilities in all aspects of strontium metal and downstream product technology. One of the reasons for this is that TRU President and our other experts have spent many years employed previously in the strontium industry launching the first viable strontium metal products. Also see-
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