Strontium

Sherwood Forest is Nottinghamshire’s woodland famous for its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood. Tales of Robin Hood and his merry men from the 14^th century, outwitting the law and helping the poor, used the forest as their home, hunting ground and hiding place. 

Today the forest welcomes 350,000 visitors a year to enjoy the magical legend, the ancient woodland and the diverse flora and fauna.

The forest, which had been wooded since the end of the ice age, is home to the famous Major Oak, which, according to local folklore, was Robin Hood’s principal hideout. The oak tree is between 800 and 1,000 years old and its massive limbs are now supported by an elaborate system of scaffolding.

A very volatile element, strontium and its salts are often used in pyrotechnics due to their brilliantly coloured flames.

First declared to exist in 1790 by Adair Crawford, he referred to strontium extracted from the ore mined near the Scottish town of Strontian.

China has typically been the top producer of strontium, along with Spain, Mexico and several other countries, and around 300,000 tons of strontium are produced globally each year.