Lexi Webster
Barium is a soft, silvery-white metal with a slight golden shade when ultrapure. It is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. Barium is never found in nature as a free element and has few industrial applications. However, it is used in medicine as a radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, barium compounds are added to fireworks to impart a green colour. Australia is a producer of barium, with South Australia being the country's largest producer, specifically in the northern Flinders Ranges and the Oraparinna region.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Barium found in Australia | Yes |
| Barium in nature | Never found in nature as a free element |
| Barium in Australia mines | Bauxite mines in Huntly, Willowdale, Worsley, South Aurukun, Skardon River, Weipa, Gove, Ely, and Marchinbar Island |
| Barium compounds | Barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4) and witherite (barium carbonate, BaCO3) |
| Barium applications | Component of YBCO (high-temperature superconductors) and electroceramics, added to steel and cast iron, medical imaging, fireworks, rodenticides, cathode ray tubes in television sets |
| Barium colour | Silver, turns dark grey upon oxidation |
| Barium electrical conductivity | High |
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What You'll Learn
- Barium is a soft, silvery-white metal with high electrical conductivity
- It is never found in nature as a free element and has no mineral form
- The only commercial source of barium is barite (barium sulphate)
- Barium sulphate is used in radio-imaging of the human digestive tract
- South Australia is the country's largest producer of barite
Barium is a soft, silvery-white metal with high electrical conductivity
Barium is an alkaline earth metal that is never found in nature as a free element due to its high chemical reactivity. It was first recognised as an element in 1772 or 1774 and was later reduced to a metal in 1808 through electrolysis. Barium is challenging to purify, which has limited the understanding of its properties. However, it has found applications in removing unwanted oxygen from cathode ray tubes in television sets and other electronic vacuum tubes.
The silvery-white colour of barium metal is subject to rapid oxidation when exposed to air, resulting in the formation of a dark grey layer of oxide. At room temperature and pressure, barium adopts a body-centred cubic structure, with a barium-barium distance of 503 picometres. This distance expands with heat at a rate of approximately 1.8x10^-5/°C. Barium's melting temperature of 1,000 K (730 °C) is intermediate between those of strontium and radium, while its boiling point of 2,170 K (1,900 °C) exceeds that of strontium.
Barium compounds, such as barium sulfate, have various industrial applications. Barium sulfate is used as an insoluble additive in oil well drilling fluid and as a radiocontrast agent in X-ray imaging of the human gastrointestinal tract. It is also added to fireworks to impart a green colour. The primary commercial source of barium is barite or baryte, a barium sulfate mineral with deposits found in many parts of the world, including Australia.
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It is never found in nature as a free element and has no mineral form
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and an atomic number of 56. It is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal with a slight golden shade when ultrapure. Barium is never found in nature as a free element and has no mineral form. This is due to its high chemical reactivity. Instead, barium is found in the form of minerals, the most common of which are barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4) and witherite (barium carbonate, BaCO3).
Barium was first recognised as a new element in 1772 by Carl Scheele, although he was only able to identify barium oxide and could not isolate pure barium. Two years later, Johan Gottlieb Gahn also isolated barium oxide in his studies. It was not until 1808 that Sir Humphry Davy isolated pure barium in England using electrolysis of molten barium salts. This was made possible by the recent discovery of the technology of electrolytic isolation. However, due to its high reactivity, the uses of pure barium were limited.
Alchemists in the early Middle Ages knew about some barium minerals. Smooth, pebble-like stones of mineral baryte were found in volcanic rock near Bologna, Italy, and were thus called "Bologna stones". These stones attracted alchemists because, after exposure to light, they would glow for years. The phosphorescent properties of baryte heated with organics were described by V. Casciorolus in 1602.
Today, barite is the only commercial source of barium and barium compounds. It is a relatively soft, inert mineral with a high specific gravity. Barium sulfate is used as an insoluble additive to oil well drilling fluid and, in a purer form, as a radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract. Barium compounds are also added to fireworks to impart a green colour.
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The only commercial source of barium is barite (barium sulphate)
Barium is a chemical element with the atomic number 56. It is a soft, silvery-white alkaline earth metal. Barium is never found in nature as a free element due to its high chemical reactivity. It is always found combined with other elements, such as sulfate and carbonate, and can also form compounds with hydroxide, chloride, nitrate, and chlorate. Barium compounds have a variety of commercial uses, but the only commercial source of barium itself is barite (barium sulphate).
Barite, or barium sulphate, is a relatively soft, inert mineral with a high specific gravity. It is the most common mineral of barium and is mined in several parts of the world, including Australia. The majority of the world's barite is produced in China, with smaller amounts mined in India, the United States, and Morocco. Barite is processed by thermo-chemical sulfate reduction (TSR) or carbothermal reduction (heating with coke) to produce barium sulfide, which can then be converted to other barium derivatives.
Almost 80% of the world's consumption of barium sulphate is in drilling muds for oil and gas wells. The high specific gravity of barite helps to contain pressures and prevent blowouts during drilling. It is also used as a weighting agent in oil well drilling fluids, as well as in glassmaking and creating rubber. In addition, barite is used as a filler in paper, plastics, and paint, where it is known as blanc fixe or lithopone.
Barium sulphate is also used in medicine as a radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract. Its low solubility protects patients from absorbing harmful amounts of barium, making it safe for use in procedures such as the barium meal, where it is used to visualise the intestines in an X-ray diagnostic test. Barium compounds have been used in medicine since the early 19th century, but their use has been limited due to their toxicity.
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Barium sulphate is used in radio-imaging of the human digestive tract
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and the atomic number 56. It is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal that is never found in nature as a free element due to its high chemical reactivity. Barium sulphate (BaSO4), also known simply as barium in radiology, is an ionic salt of barium that forms the basis for a range of contrast media used in fluoroscopic examinations of the gastrointestinal tract.
Barium sulphate is typically mixed with water (and sometimes flavouring) and swallowed, or introduced into the bowel through a tube inserted into the rectum as an enema. As the mixture passes through the digestive tract, X-rays are taken at different intervals to observe its progress. The radiologist can then examine the images to identify any issues or abnormalities.
Barium sulphate is particularly useful for fine-detail evaluation of the gastrointestinal system, such as evaluating early changes from Crohn's disease. It is also used in double-contrast studies, which involve the use of agents that produce carbon dioxide to distend the stomach or intestine, allowing for more comprehensive coating and visualisation of the GI mucosa.
In Australia, South Australia is the largest producer of barite (barium sulphate), with a current production of approximately 10,000 tonnes per year.
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South Australia is the country's largest producer of barite
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and an atomic number of 56. It is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal that is never found in nature as a free element. The most common minerals of barium are barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4) and witherite (barium carbonate, BaCO3).
Barite (barium sulfate) is the only commercial source of barium and its compounds. It is a soft, inert mineral with a high specific gravity (SG) ranging from 4.2 to 4.5. World production of barite is approximately 6 million tonnes per year, with China contributing nearly half of that amount.
In Australia, South Australia is the largest producer of barite, with a current production of about 10,000 tonnes per year. This accounts for a significant portion of the country's total production, which is estimated at 4.3 million tonnes from 62 deposits. South Australia's barite deposits are mainly found in the northern Flinders Ranges, with the majority being small and of the open-fracture infill type. The largest deposit is the Dunbar deposit in the Oraparinna region, which is currently the only one being mined.
The barite produced in South Australia is primarily used for oil drilling due to its high SG, which is essential for containing pressures and preventing blowouts in oil and gas wells. It is also used in special paper, rubber, paint, and plastics applications, with the highest-priced barite being the fine-ground white to off-white paint and pigment grades.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, barium is found in Australia. South Australia is the country's largest producer, with a current production of 10,000 t/year.
Barium has a variety of uses. It is used as a weighting agent in drilling mud for oil and gas wells, as a heavy filler in special paper, rubber, paint, and plastics applications, and in surface coatings. It is also used in medicine as a radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract.
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal that is never found in nature as a free element.
