Barium Sulfate - BaSO4

It is an inorganic compound with the chemical name Barium Sulfate.

Barium Sulfate is made up of two components: a barium cation and the sulfate anion. The sulfur is attached to four oxygen atoms. BaSO₄ is a sulfate salt of barium and it can be found in the form of mineral barite. It is a crystalline solid white which is insoluble in water and alcohol but soluble in concentrated acids. It is odourless.

Barium Sulfate is an alkaline, divalent metal. It is non-toxic and is safe for medical use. It is widely used in the production of oil and natural gas to get high-density drilling fluids by keeping the boreholes free of rock.

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Properties of Barium Sulphate

Physical Properties

Pure barium sulfate is found as a white, odorless powder or small crystals with a density of 4.49 g/mL, a melting point of 1580 °C and a boiling point of 1600 °C.

Chemical Properties

Barium sulfate is said to have extremely poor solubility in the universal solvent water. It is also insoluble in alcohols, and soluble in concentrated acids. It reacts violently with aluminum powder. Barium sulfate has numerous medical and radio imaging uses due to its water insolubility and radio-opaque properties.

Barium Sulphate Uses

1. Barium sulfate is a contrast agent. Barium sulfate starts functioning by coating the inside of your oesophagus, stomach, or intestines which allows them to be seen more clearly on a CT scan or other radiologic (x-ray) examination.

2. Barium sulfate is taken into use to help diagnose certain disorders of the oesophagus, stomach, or intestines.

3. Barium sulfate may also be used for some other factors not listed in this medication guide. Drilling fluids

4. About 80% of the world's barium sulfate production, mostly purified mineral, is consumed as a component of oil well drilling fluid. It increases the density of the fluid, increasing the hydrostatic pressure in the well and reducing the chance of a blowout.

5. Radiocontrast agent

Barium Sulfate Suspension 

Barium sulfate in suspension is now and again utilized medicinally as a radiocontrast specialist for X-ray imaging and other indicative strategies. It is regularly utilized in imaging of the GI tract during what is casually known as a "barium meal". It is managed orally, or by bowel purge, as a suspension of fine particles in a thick milk-like arrangement (frequently with sweetening and seasoning agents added). Although barium is a heavy metal, and its water-solvent mixes are usually poisonous, the low dissolvability of barium sulfate shields the patient from engrossing destructive measures of the metal. Barium sulfate is likewise promptly expelled from the body, dissimilar to Thorotrast, which it replaced. Because of the high nuclear number (Z = 56) of barium, its compounds ingest X-rays more unequivocally than compounds derived from lighter nuclei. 

Shade 

Most manufactured barium sulfate is utilized as a part of white colour for paints. In oil paint, barium sulfate is practically transparent, and is utilized as a filler or to alter the consistency. One significant producer of artists' oil paint sells "perpetual white" that contains a blend of titanium white shade (TiO₂) and barium sulfate. The blend of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide (ZnS) is the inorganic pigment called lithopone. In photography, it is utilized as a covering for certain photographic papers. 

Barium Sulfate Side Effects 

You should go for emergency medical assistance if you have indications of a hypersensitive response: hives; troublesome breathing; expanding of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

1. severe stomach pain;

2. severe cramping, diarrhoea, or constipation;

3. ringing in your ears;

4. sweating, confusion, fast heart rate; or

5. pale skin, blue-coloured skin, weakness.

6. mild stomach cramps

7. nausea, vomiting; or

8. loose stools or mild constipation. 

Barium Sulfate Formula

Barium sulfate is a significant inorganic chemical with several applications, including medical uses.

Structure and Formula of barium sulfate: The chemical formula of barium sulfate is BaSO₄ and its molar mass is 233.43 g/mol. It is a salt made up of the barium cation (Ba₂⁺) and the sulfate anion (SO₄2^-), in which sulfur is joined to four oxygen atoms. The barium metal is present in the +2^-oxidation state. The chemical structure of barium sulfate is shown as below: 

Occurrence: Barium sulfate occurs naturally as the mineral barite, which is widely found and can be considered as the major source of barium and other barium compounds.

Did you know?

• Barium Sulphate is insoluble in water. If under certain conditions it was made to dissolve in the water the solution will be very toxic.

• Barium Sulphate is commonly used to perform X-rays of the stomach and intestines.

• It is also used extensively in paints and the making of glasses. 

• Did you know what gives your fireworks green colour? It is the presence of Barium Nitrate that gives it a flashy green colour upon burst.

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Also, if you wish to learn about the formula of the Barium Sulphate then you may like to follow this link.