Barium Sulfate is a very essential inorganic compound which has a lot of applications. One of the most important applications of this inorganic compound is medical use. Let’s take a look at the Barium Sulfate Formula and structure.
Barium Sulfate Formula and Structure
The chemical formula of Barium Sulfate is BaSO4. The molar mass of the same is 233.43 g/mol. It is basically a salt which constitutes Barium Cation (Ba2+) as well as the Sulfate Anion (SO42-). Over here, the Sulfur attaches to 4 Oxygen atoms. The Barium metal is a +2 oxidation state. Similarly, to understand it better, let’s take a look at the chemical structure of Barium Sulfate, which is given below:
Occurrence
Barium Sulfate is found naturally in nature in the form of mineral Barite. It is extensively found and generally uses it as the major source of Barium as well as other Barium compounds.
Preparation
Due to the natural occurrence of this inorganic compound, it is acquired in commercial amounts from the mineral Barite. One can acquire it only after thorough mining and processing. In order to process the impure Barite, one needs to heat it with coke (Carbon) so that water-soluble Barium Sulfide (BaS) forms. After that, it then gets separated from the impurities and reacts with Sulfuric Acid to give the pure Barium Sulfate product:
BaSO4 + 4 C → BaS + 4 CO
BaS + H2SO4 → BaSO4 + H2S
There is another method through which one can acquire pure Barium Sulfate. You can acquire it by reacting Barium Carbonate or Barium Chloride with Sulfuric acid.
Physical Properties
If we talk about pure Barium Sulfate, it is white and is odourless. Its texture is powdery or small crystals. The density of Barium Sulfate is 4.49 g/mL. Similarly, the melting point of Barium Sulfate is 1580 °C and boiling point of 1600 °C.
Chemical Properties
Barium Sulfate has very poor solubility in water and is also insoluble in alcohols. On the other hand, it is very soluble in concentrated acids. Further, it will react violently with aluminium powder. Moreover, it also has various medical and radio imaging uses because of water insolubility and radio-opaque properties.
Uses
Often, we use Barium Sulfate as a radio-opaque agent or X-ray contrast agent. This is done in order to diagnose gastrointestinal medical conditions. Similarly, we also use it as oil well drilling fluids and concrete-based radiation shields. Further, Barium Sulfate has also got uses in the field of dental medicine, for instance, root canal fillings. Similarly, it also has applications in pigments, paints, adhesives, and paper coatings, fillers in plastics, linoleum, brake linings, pyrotechnic compositions, textiles, rubber and catalyst supports.
Safety Hazards
As Barium Sulfate is insoluble in aqueous media which makes it safe for medical uses and is non-toxic in nature. However, if you expose it to dust or inhale it in high concentrations, it can result in irritation to the eyes, nose and respiratory system.
Solved Example for You
Question- What is the melting and boiling point of Barium Sulfate?
a) 0 °C and 100 °C
b) 200 °C and 1800 °C
c) 1580 °C and 1600 °C.
d) 20 °C and 150 °C
Answer- The correct answer is option C. The melting point of Barium Sulfate is 1580 °C and boiling point of 1600 °C.
