Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis have been used for thermal characterisation of the gel-grown crystals of strontium tartrate by measuring the changes in their physicochemical properties as a function of increasing temperature with time. The material turns out to be trihydrated. The obtained experimental data show that the material is thermally stable up to 393 K, beyond which it exhibits marked tendency to decompose. The decomposition process occurs in four stages until, ultimately, strontium carbonate is obtained at 678 K. The energies of the reactions involved and the mechanism of decomposition at each stage have been examined. The values of kinetic parameters, e.g. order of reaction, activation energy and the frequency factor are also evaluated. The results have been adequately interpreted in the light of existing theories. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.