Barium Sulfate

barium sulfate: see barite.

---

barium sulfate [′bar·ē·əm ′səl‚fāt]

(inorganic chemistry)

BaSO₄A salt occurring in the form of white, rhombic crystals, insoluble in water; used as a white pigment, as an opaque contrast medium for roentgenographic processes, and as an antidiarrheal.

---

barite

A mineral used in concrete as an aggregate, esp. for the construction of high-density radiation shielding; also called barium sulfate.

---

Barium Sulfate 

BaSO₄, a salt; colorless crystals with a density of 4.5 g/cm³ and a melting point of 1580° C. This compound is virtually insoluble in water (2 mg per liter at 18° C) but is highly soluble in concentrated H₂SO₄ as a result of the formation of a complex compound. Barium sulfate is found in nature in the form of the mineral barite, which is the principal raw material for production of barium and its compounds. It is a component of the white pigment lithopone and is included in high-quality paper (which gives it its whiteness and smoothness). Petroleum workers use barium sulfate as a weighting material in drilling deep wells. This compound absorbs X rays well and is therefore used in fluoroscopic examinations, particularly of the gastrointestinal tract.