How is Barium Metal Produced from BaSO4?: How is Barium Metal Produced from BaSO4?
Industrial production of barium metal is the electrolysis of molten barium chloride BaSO4 is reduced by graphite carbon to barium sulphide in a blast furnace. This reacts with calcium chloride to form barium chloride, which is much easier to melt than barium sulphate Lastly, electrolysis on molten BaCI2 to retrive molten barium and chlorine gas Barium –Uses: Barium –Uses Barium metal oxidizes very easily when exposed to air and is highly reactive with water or alcohol, producing hydrogen gas Barite (BaSO4) is extremely important to the petroleum industry, is used in drilling mud, a weighting agent in drilling new oil wells Barium sulfate is also a good X-ray absorber, used in X-ray diagnostic work for obtaining images of the digestive system (“barium meals” and “barium enemas”) Barium is used in root canal filling Barium carbonate is used in glass making Barium, an alloy with nickel is used in spark plug wire Barium oxide is used in a coating for the electrodes of fluorescent lamps, wh