What is barium in?

Have you ever wondered what the heck barium actually is? Maybe you’ve heard of it, but you’re not quite sure what makes it so special. Well, wonder no more! In this article, we’ll take a look at where barium can be found and why it’s useful.

Let’s Start from the Beginning

First things first: what even is barium? At its core, barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It’s classified as an alkaline earth metal and has similar properties to other elements like calcium and magnesium.

But enough chemistry talk – let’s get down to brass tacks (or should I say “barite” tacks?)…

Where Can You Find Barium?

So where exactly does one come across this elusive element? Here are just a few places:

Soil

Yes, that’s right – even dirt has some traces of barium in it. If you want to get technical about it, soil typically contains around 400 parts per million of the element.

Food and Water

Assuming your diet consists mainly of food that hasn’t been pre-packaged or overly processed (I’m looking at you, microwave dinners), there’s a good chance you consume small amounts of barium on a regular basis.

Water sources can also contain minuscule amounts of this element; however, most drinking water goes through treatment processes that remove impurities like heavy metals before being piped into our homes.

The Medical Field

This may come as a surprise to some people but healthcare practitioners use barium for medical exams such as X-rays. Doctors often ask their patients to either swallow or have them inject it prior to an imaging test since they help improve the clarity/highlighting during image processing due to its high opacity when viewed by x-ray radiation detectors.

Barium is also present in other medical applications such as treatment for certain gastrointestinal issues. In these cases, the patient swallows a dose of barium sulfate that helps line the digestive system to help doctors better see its structure on X-ray scans.

Fireworks

Believe it or not, barium is actually used to make green and white colored fireworks! During ignition, they produce bright green flames due to barium compounds which causes lead chromate component oxidation.

The Many Uses of Barium

Now that we have a general idea where barium can be found let’s hone in on why this element is so useful!

Glassmaking

Glass manufacturing companies use small amounts of barite (a mineral comprised primarilyof barium sulfate) which serves as fluxing agent, allowing glass production at lower temperatures.

Petroleum Industry

Barite plays an important part within the drilling industry. Workers pour it into wells during drilling operations and clay stabilization prior to processing introduces some variety due to its unique characteristics. When crushed down into fine particles, they’re added directly to drilling muds; their high density allows them stay in suspension whereas bentonite would tend settle faster.

On top of that, many oil wells contain water bearing structures formed through mixing with saltwater. Barite’s low solubility characteristics help reduce environmental damage because accidents wouldn’t cause toxic materials leaching out into the environment during cleaning up process thus reducing threat from pollution incidents associated them.

Paint Production

Ever wondered how those vibrant pigments get made? Well now you know – powdered barium sulfide mixed with zinc oxide produces a deep purple hue when exposed both normal light sources or UV radiation via sunlight exposure;

White-tinged paint manufacturers typically incorporate smaller quantities too within their product lines adding fillers without producing chalky results from ingredients like titanium dioxide while still maintaining even application density throughout drying phase/surface texture.

Fire Extinguishers

While this one may not seem all that exciting, it’s definitely an application we’d like to think exists less often! Barium carbonate is used in certain fire extinguishers due to its capability to act as a heat sink. It works by releasing carbon dioxide gas when heated thereby neutralizing the temperature and causing the flames of the fuel source – usually paper, wood or textile based materials – extinguish quickly without leaving any residues on surfaces after use.

Wrapping Up (in Barium Foil?)

There you have it folks: barium is found just about everywhere from your backyard soil right through to medical treatments aiding in radiological imaging tests; industry uses such as petroleum drilling operations and glass production processes right through down smaller everyday products include paintstuffs and fire retardants using this versatile element!

Have thoughts you want add? Do tell us!