Structural properties of barite

Barite or baryte is a non-metallic mineral product mainly composed of barium sulfate (BaSO4) (chemical composition: BaO: 65.7%, SO3:34.3%). Composition of Sr, Pb and Ca , pure barite white, shiny, due to the influence of impurities and mixed material is often gray, light red, light yellow, etc., crystallization is quite good barite can also appear transparent crystal. Barite is a sulfate mineral. The composition is BaSO4. The most widely distributed barium containing minerals in nature.

Barite is chemically stable, insoluble in water and hydrochloric acid, non-magnetic and toxic. The chemical composition of barite is BaSO4, and the crystal is a sulfate mineral of the orthogonal (trapezius) crystal system. Often thick plate or columnar crystal, mostly dense bulk or plate, granular aggregate. Pure when colorless and transparent, containing impurities when dyed into a variety of colors, stripe white, glass luster, transparent to translucent. The cleavage of the three groups is complete, and the Angle is equal to or close to 90°. Mohs hardness 3 ~ 3.5, specific gravity 4.0 ~ 4.6.

Identification characteristics: PLate-like crystal, small hardness, nearly right-angle intersection of complete cleavage, high density, hydrochloric acid does not bubble, and to distinguish from similar calcite. Barite is a non-metallic mineral product with barium sulfate (BaSO4) as the main component. Pure barite is white and shiny. Due to the influence of impurities and mixed substances, it is often gray, light red, light yellow, etc., and barite with good crystallization condition can also appear as transparent crystal. Barite is a mixture.

The crystals of barite are large tubes, and when the crystals are gathered together, they sometimes form rose-shaped or bifurcated crystals, which are called crown-hairy barite. Pure barite is colorless and transparent, generally white, light yellow, with glass luster. And barite can be used as a white pigment (we commonly known as Lide powder), can also be used in chemical industry, paper, textile filler, in glass production it can act as a flux and increase the brightness of glass. But it is mainly used as an aggravating agent in the drilling industry and barium extraction.

Industrial use of barite

Barite is a kind of important non-metallic mineral raw material, which has a wide range of industrial applications.

1.Drilling mud weighting agent.

In some oil Wells, gas Wells drilling, the general use of drilling mud, clay proportion is about 2.5, the proportion of water is 1, so the proportion of mud is low, sometimes mud weight and underground oil, gas pressure balance, then cause blowout accidents. Under the condition of high underground pressure, it is necessary to increase the specific gravity of mud. Adding barite powder to mud is an effective measure to increase the specific gravity of mud. The general fineness of barite for drilling mud should reach more than 325 mesh. If the fineness of barite is not enough, it is easy to precipitate. The specific gravity of barite for drilling mud should be greater than 4.2, the content of BaSO4 should be not less than 95%, and the soluble salt should be less than 1%.

2.Zinc barium white pigment.

Zinc barium white is a kind of commonly used high quality white pigment, which can be used as the raw material of paint and painting pigments. By heating barium sulfate and using reducing agent, it can be reduced to barium sulfide (BaS), and then react with zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) to get barium sulfate and zinc sulfide mixture (BaSO4 accounted for 70%, ZnS accounted for 30%), which is zinc barium white pigment. The barite for preparation of zinc-barium white should contain more than 95% BaSO4 and no visible colored debris.

3.Various barium compounds.

Barite can be used as raw material to produce barium oxide, barium carbonate, barium chloride, barium nitrate, barium sulfate precipitation, barium hydroxide and other chemical raw materials.

Chemically pure barium sulfate is the standard for measuring whiteness; ​barium carbonate is an important raw material of optical glass. It introduces BaO into glass, which increases the refractive index of glass and improves other optical properties. In ceramics used to prepare glazes; ​barium chloride is an agricultural insecticide. Barium nitrate is used in the fireworks and glass industry; ​barium permanganate is a green pigment.

4.Packing industry

In the paint industry, barite powder filler can increase the thickness, strength and durability of the paint film.

Barite is required to have sufficient fineness and high whiteness in the paint industry.

The paper industry, rubber and plastic industry also use barite as filler, this filler can improve the hardness, wear resistance and aging resistance of rubber and plastic.

Barite packing for rubber and papermaking requires BaSO4 to be greater than 98%, CaO to be less than 0.36%, and magnesium oxide, lead and other components are not allowed.

5.Mineralizing agent for cement industry.

In cement production, the incorporation of barite and phosphor composite mineralizer has obvious effects on promoting the formation and activation of C3S, and the quality of clinker is improved. The early cement strength is increased by about 20 ~ 25%, and the later cement strength is increased by about 10%. The firing temperature of clinker is reduced from 1450℃ to 1300±50℃. The best effect is obtained when the content of barite is 0.8 ~ 1.5%.

In the production of white cement, when the compound mineralizer of barite and fluorite is used, the firing temperature drops from 1500℃ to 1400℃, the free CaO content is low, and the strength and whiteness are improved. Adding proper amount of barite to raw cement with coal gangue as raw material can greatly improve the strength of cement with low clinker saturation ratio, especially the early strength, which provides a beneficial way for the comprehensive utilization of coal gangue and the production of low calcium, energy saving, early strength and high strength cement.

6.Ray – proof cement, mortar and concrete

Barite is used to make barium cement, barite mortar and barite concrete, which can be used instead of metal lead plates to shield nuclear reactors and build X-ray proof buildings for scientific research and hospitals.

Barium cement is made of barite and clay as the main raw materials, and the clinker composed of barium silicate as the main mineral is obtained through sintering, and then the appropriate amount of gypsum is added to the ground. The proportion is higher than the general Portland cement, up to 4.7 ~ 5.2. The intensity label is 325 ~ 425. Because of the heavy ratio of barium cement, it can be prepared with heavy aggregates (such as barite) to form uniform and dense X-ray proof concrete.

Barite mortar is a kind of mortar with large bulk density and blocking effect on X-ray. It is generally required to use Portland cement with low hydration heat. Usually, the ratio of cement: barite powder: barite sand: coarse sand is 1∶0.25∶2.5∶1. Barite concrete is a kind of concrete with large bulk density and shielding ability to X-ray. The cementitious materials are usually Portland cement with low hydration heat or special cement such as high aluminum cement, barium cement and strontium cement. Portland cement is the most widely used. The ratio of cement: barite, gravel, barite sand: water is 1∶4.54∶3.4∶0.5. 1:5.44:4.46, 0.6; 1:5:3.8:0.2 3 kinds.

The content of BaSO4 in barite for ray proof mortar and concrete should not be less than 80%, and the impurities such as gypsum, pyrite, sulfide and sulfate in barite should not exceed 7%.

7.Road construction

A mixture of rubber and tar containing about 10% barite has been successfully used in parking lots and is a durable paving material. The tyres of heavy road construction equipment have been partially filled with barite to increase weight and help tamp the fill area.

8.Other applications

Barite and oil mix after coating on cloth base to make oilcloth; ​barite powder is used to refine kerosene; ​in the pharmaceutical industry to do digestive tract contrast agent; ​can also make pesticides, leather, fireworks and so on. In addition, barite is also used to extract barium metal, as television and other vacuum tube inspirators, binders. Barium is alloyed with other metals (aluminum, magnesium, lead, calcium) and is used in bearing manufacturing.

Recommended grinder of barite powder

With barite being used for a multitude of industries, our sales managers will help find you the barite grinding machine that will be most suitable for your application.