What is barium sulfate?

Gemme

02-18-2020 16:43:02

Barium sulfate is a material with strong chemical inertness, good stability, acid and alkali resistance, moderate hardness, high specific gravity, high whiteness, and the ability to absorb harmful radiation. Due to these advantages, it is widely used as an environmentally friendly material in various fields, including coatings, mid-to-high-grade inks, pharmaceuticals, synthetic chemicals, rubber, paper making, ceramics, and cosmetics.

**Molecular Formula:** BaSO4

**Molecular Weight:** 233.39

**Properties:**
- Colorless orthorhombic crystal or white amorphous powder
- Relative density of 4.50 (15°C)
- Melting point of 1580°C
- Almost insoluble in water, ethanol, and acids
- Soluble in hot concentrated sulfuric acid
- Prone to caking when dry
- Can be reduced to barium sulfide with carbon at 600°C

**Uses:**
- As a raw material or filler for paints, inks, plastics, rubber, and batteries
- As a surface coating agent for photographic paper and coated paper
- As a sizing agent in the textile industry
- As a clarifying agent in glass products to prevent foaming and increase gloss
- As a protective wall material against radiation
- In ceramics, enamel, perfumes, and pigments industries
- As a raw material for manufacturing other barium salts

Barium sulfate has strong chemical inertness, good stability, acid and alkali resistance, moderate hardness, high specific gravity, high whiteness, and the ability to absorb harmful radiation. These advantages make it an environmentally friendly material widely used in various fields, including coatings, mid-to-high-grade inks, pharmaceuticals, synthetic chemicals, rubber, paper making, ceramics, and cosmetics. Refined barium sulfate is extensively used as a filler in various coatings (water-based, oil-based, and powder coatings), inks, paper making, engineering plastics (household appliance casings, building materials plastics), high-grade electrical insulation plastics, and rubber products. It is also used in battery cathode expansion rods and as an enamel glaze material in ceramics and enamels. Precipitated barium sulfate (BaSO4) can be used as a white paint and as a filler in rubber and paper making to increase weight and smoothness. In industries such as rubber, plastics, paper making, paints, inks, and coatings, precipitated barium sulfate is used as a filler, brightener, and weighting agent.