Barium carbonate

Barium carbonate

Skeletal formula of barium carbonate
Powder of barium carbonate
Names
Other names Witherite
Identifiers
CAS Number	513-77-9  Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:190439
ChemSpider	10121  Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.007.426
EC Number	208-167-3
PubChem CID	10563
RTECS number	CQ8600000
UNII	6P669D8HQ8  Y
UN number	1564
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID1029623
InChI InChI=1S/CH2O3.Ba/c2-1(3)4;/h(H2,2,3,4);/q;+2/p-2 Y Key: AYJRCSIUFZENHW-UHFFFAOYSA-L Y InChI=1/CH2O3.Ba/c2-1(3)4;/h(H2,2,3,4);/q;+2/p-2 Key: AYJRCSIUFZENHW-NUQVWONBAT
SMILES [Ba+2].[O-]C([O-])=O C(=O)([O-])[O-].[Ba+2]
Properties
Chemical formula	BaCO3
Molar mass	197.335 g·mol−1
Appearance	white crystals
Odor	odorless
Density	4.286 g/cm3
Melting point	811 °C (1,492 °F; 1,084 K) polymorphic transformation
Boiling point	1,450 °C (2,640 °F; 1,720 K) decomposes [1] from 1,360 °C (2,480 °F; 1,630 K)
Solubility in water	16 mg/L (8.8 °C (47.8 °F; 281.9 K)) 22 mg/L (18 °C (64 °F; 291 K)) 24 mg/L (20 °C (68 °F; 293 K)) 24 mg/L (24.2 °C (75.6 °F; 297.3 K)) [1]
Solubility product (Ksp)	2.58×10−9
Solubility in acid	decomposes
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−58.9×10−6 cm3/mol
Refractive index (nD)	1.676
Structure
Crystal structure	orthorhombic
Thermochemistry
Heat capacity (C)	85.35 J/mol·K [1]
Std molar entropy (S⦵298)	112 J/mol·K [2]
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298)	−1219 kJ/mol [2]
Gibbs free energy (ΔfG⦵)	−1139 kJ/mol [1]
Hazards
GHS labelling: [3]
Pictograms
Signal word	Warning
Hazard statements	H302
Precautionary statements	P264, P270, P301+P312+P330, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	[4] 2 0 0
Flash point	Non-flammable
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	418 mg/kg, oral (rat) [3]
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): [3]
REL (Recommended)	0.5 mg/m3
Safety data sheet (SDS)	Sigma-Aldrich [3]
Related compounds
Other anions	Barium chlorate Barium chloride Barium chromate Barium perchlorate Barium peroxide Barium sulfate
Other cations	Beryllium carbonate Magnesium carbonate Calcium carbonate Strontium carbonate Radium carbonate
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N  verify  (what is  YN ?) Infobox references

Barium carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula BaCO₃. Like most alkaline earth metal carbonates, it is a white salt that is poorly soluble in water. It occurs as the mineral known as witherite. In a commercial sense, it is one of the most important barium compounds. ^[5]

Preparation

Barium carbonate is made commercially from barium sulfide by treatment with sodium carbonate at 60 to 70 °C (140 to 158 °F) (soda ash method) or, more commonly carbon dioxide at 40 to 90 °C (104 to 194 °F): ^[5]

BaS + H₂O + CO₂ → BaCO₃ + H₂S

Reactions

Barium carbonate reacts with acids such as hydrochloric acid to form soluble barium salts, such as barium chloride:

BaCO₃ + 2 HCl → BaCl₂ + CO₂ + H₂O

Pyrolysis of barium carbonate gives barium oxide. ^[6]

Uses

It is mainly used to remove sulfate impurities from feedstock of the chlor-alkali process. Otherwise it is a common precursor to barium-containing compounds such as ferrites. ^[5]

Other uses

Barium carbonate is widely used in the ceramics industry as an ingredient in glazes. It acts as a flux, a matting and crystallizing agent and combines with certain colouring oxides to produce unique colours not easily attainable by other means. Its use is somewhat controversial since it can leach from glazes into food and drink. To reduce toxicity concerns, it is often substituted with strontium carbonate, which behaves in a similar way in glazes but is of lower toxicity.

In the brick, tile, earthenware and pottery industries barium carbonate is added to clays to precipitate soluble salts (calcium sulfate and magnesium sulfate) that cause efflorescence.

It is sometimes used as an "energiser" in the Case-hardening process.

References

1. "Barium carbonate". Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
2. Zumdahl, Steven S. (2009). Chemical Principles 6th Ed. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN   978-0-618-94690-7.
3. Sigma-Aldrich Co., Barium carbonate. Retrieved on 2014-05-06.
4. "Fisher SDS - Barium Carbonate". www.fishersci.com. Fisher Scientific. 29 March 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
5. Kresse, Robert; Baudis, Ulrich; Jäger, Paul; Riechers, H. Hermann; Wagner, Heinz; Winkler, Jochen; Wolf, Hans Uwe (2007). "Barium and Barium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry . Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a03_325.pub2. ISBN   978-3527306732.
6. P. Ehrlich (1963). "Barium Oxide". In G. Brauer (ed.). Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Vol. 1. NY, NY: Academic Press. pp. 933–944.