Barytes, also called barite, is a mineral available worldwide, composed of barium sulfate (BaSO4). The largest deposits are in the U.S., Mexico, China, India and Morocco. The name barytes is derived from the Greek baryos meaning heavy or heavy spar, because its most striking feature is its heaviness. The specific gravity, or weight per unit volume, is 4 to 5, which is about twice that of most common industrial minerals. For comparison, calcium carbonate or limestone has a specific gravity of 2.7. Because of this high density, a teaspoon of barytes would weigh close to the same as a tablespoon of salt, which equals three teaspoons.
Barite can occur in numerous colors; white, brown, yellow, red and gray are most common. The colors are the result of impurities such as iron, strontium and lead, and mineral contaminants such as clay and sand. Barite is insoluble in water and is resistant to acid attack.
Uses for Barytes
The largest application for barite is as a weighting agent in natural gas and oil field drilling muds. The density of barite helps in down-hole flow and bit lubrication.
One of its industrial end uses is as a weighting agent additive in cement, rubber and urethane foams. It is used in paint and powder coatings for metal protection and processing improvement. Barite is also used in friction products such as brake pads and clutch surfaces. Because barite is so dense that it reduces the passage of x-rays it is used in cement vessels for radioactive material containment, in gastrointestinal x-ray “milkshakes” and in cathode ray masks in television sets and computer monitors. It also absorbs sound, so is included in sound-deadening sealants and underbody coatings in automobile and other vehicle manufacture.
Barytes Products
Barite ore is ground to a range of products of the different sizes needed for the variety of applications. Most commercially available products are 200 or 325 mesh, or finer, down to a few microns. The ore is selected and the process is controlled for one or more of the following properties: color, particle size, specific gravity and bulk density. Some barytes is available in a bleached form to improve color, and there is a precipitated barium sulfate, referred to as “blanc fixe,” that finds use in high-end paints and coatings and in pharmaceutical applications.
Specialty Minerals Barytes
Specialty Minerals grinds high brightness, white barite ore, generally from China. Particle ranges of these BaricronTM 1000 series barytes is from 8 down to 1.5 microns, for use in paints, sealants and other performance applications.
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