Barium sulfate, known as barytes or barite, is a cost-effective functional additive for plastics. Besides being a filler for reinforcement and superior surface finish, the barite can impart radiation shielding, opacity, weight, and sound deadening qualities to the plastic.

Barytes / Barite in Plastics
Barite can be incorporated into a number of resin systems, including but not limited to polypropylene,  polyesters, and polyurethanes. Within these and other polymers, the barite can provide the following:

• Adding weight to unsaturated polyesters
• Sound deadening in automotive plastics
• Opacity and high quality surface finish in automotive and consumer plastics
• Adding weight to foam carpet backing
• Radiation shielding in medical plastics applications

Specialty Minerals Barytes for Plastics
Specialty Minerals manufactures a series of Baricron™ barite products for plastic applications. Baricron barites are manufactured in the Mount Vernon, Indiana Performance Minerals plant. The white Baricron™ barite series of products has a range of particle sizes to chose from: 1.5 to 8 microns median particle sizes.  

 

Learn more:

• Specialty applications for SMI minerals
• SMI minerals for Plastics
• SMI minerals for reinforced polyolefins
• SMI minerals for unsaturated polyesters
  
  
• SMI minerals used in Automotive Parts
• SMI minerals used in Housing and Construction Materials
  
  
• About Specialty Minerals Inc.
• Specialty Minerals Plant Locations and Profiles
  
  
• What is Barytes/Barite?