Strontium iodide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a salt of strontium and iodine. It forms a hexahydrate . It is an ionic, water-soluble, and deliquescent compound that can be used in medicine as a substitute for potassium iodide.It is also used as a scintillation gamma radiation detector, typically doped with europium, due to its optical clarity, relatively high density, high effective atomic number (Z=48), and high scintillation light yield.[1] In recent years, europium-doped strontium iodide (:) has emerged as a promising scintillation material for gamma-ray spectroscopy with extremely high light yield and proportional response, exceeding that of the widely used high performance commercial scintillator :. Large diameter crystals can be grown reliably using vertical Bridgman technique [2] and are being commercialized by several companies.[3] [4]
Strontium iodide can be prepared by reacting strontium carbonate with hydroiodic acid:
Strontium iodide forms a white powder that slowly changes to a yellowish colour when exposed to air. At high temperatures (in the presence of air) strontium iodide completely decomposes to form strontium oxide and free iodine.