Barite is the most common barium mineral. It is barium sulfate. It is often found in low-temperature hydrothermal veins, like quartz-baryte and fluorite-baryte veins. It is often associated with galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and cinnabar. Most barite deposits in my country are in Hunan, Guangxi, Qinghai, and Jiangxi. They are mostly huge hydrothermal single mineral veins. Also, barite can form in sedimentary rocks, showing a nodule-like form. It is often found in sedimentary manganese deposits. It is also in muddy and sandy sedimentary rocks in shallow seas. In weathered deposits, it is often covered by residual clay. It appears in a nodular or blocky form.
One of the applications of barite industry: as raw material for the production of various barium compounds
Barite is a valuable raw material. It is used to make various chemicals, including barium oxide, barium carbonate, barium chloride, barium nitrate, precipitated barium sulfate, barium hydroxide, and barium titanate. Producing this type of raw material requires a big investment and strict tech standards. Its products often yield higher profit margins.
Barium Titanate
It is a key raw material for electronic ceramics. It is a strong dielectric material and crucial to multilayer ceramic capacitors. Ceramic capacitors are now mainstream. Their small size, large capacity, high frequency, and low cost make them better than other capacitors. They are also very reliable. Integrated circuit technology is advancing, which drives their popularity. In recent years, their growth rate has reached 12.7%.
Barium carbonate
Barium salt products have the largest production scale. They are widely used in many fields, such as: magnetic materials, optical glass, TV tube glass shells, ceramics, enamels, coatings, rubbers, and steel carburization. They are also used to make other barium salts. The total import and export volume of barium carbonate in the world is 400,000 tons. The main importing countries are Japan, the U.S., Canada, South Korea, France, and Sweden. China is the main exporter. It could monopolize the global market, but lacks a unified strategy.
Barium chloride
It is a key chemical raw material with many uses. It can make other barium salts, pigments, and coatings. It can also make mordants, leather products, pesticides, medicines, inks, and water softeners. And, it can make agents for metal heat treatment. It is also used in brine refining in the chlor-alkali industry. China is the main exporter of barium chloride. It has a monopoly on the global market for barium carbonate, too.
Barium sulfate
It can be used as a double contrast agent for X-rays. It is a high-density gastrointestinal contrast agent. It can be used alone or with low-density gas for a double contrast effect. It is often used for digestive tract contrast. Domestic users say uneven barium sulfate is better than fine, uniform barium sulfate.
Barium nitrate
It is mainly used in fireworks, optical glass, and surveillance lenses. In China, most domestic sales go to fireworks manufacturers. A small amount is used in the military and glass industries.
Barium Hydroxide Products
It is mainly divided into barium hydroxide octahydrate and barium hydroxide monohydrate. Barium hydroxide octahydrate is used in many industries. It’s in barium-based grease, medicine, plastics, rayon, glass, and enamel. It’s also a multi-functional additive in petroleum, refined oils, and water softeners for sucrose. Also, it is used in large quantities to make barium hydroxide monohydrate. Barium hydroxide monohydrate is mainly an additive for engine oil. It is also a plasticizer and a composite stabilizer in the plastics industry. Barium hydroxide monohydrate with low iron (below 10×10-6) can be used in optical glass and photosensitive materials. Barium hydroxide octahydrate is mainly sold domestically. Barium hydroxide monohydrate is all exported. In recent years, barium hydroxide octahydrate and monohydrate are the fastest-growing barium salts.
Other barium salt products and fine chemicals
Barium molybdate is often used as an adhesive for enamel products and for refining naphtha. It has good adhesion to metals. Barium metaborate is an additive flame retardant. It can produce a synergistic effect when used with other flame retardants. It is also used in primers and topcoats in the coating industry. It has antimicrobial effects. Barium phosphate is mainly used as a cleaning dispersant in lubricating oil additives. Barium chromate is used as an anti-corrosion material for composite electroplating. Barium series additives have been produced domestically. They include barium stearate, organic zinc barium, barium laurate, and alkylbenzene sulfonate. These additives are usually made by reacting barium chloride (or barium hydroxide) with an organic acid. Barium alkylbenzene sulfonate is among them. It is a high-quality anionic surfactant and an oil-soluble rust inhibitor. It has excellent performance.
Barite industry application 2: as drilling mud weighting agent
When drilling some oil and gas wells, the drilling mud and clay used generally have a specific gravity of about 2.5. The specific gravity of water is 1. Therefore, the mud specific gravity is relatively low. Sometimes, the mud weight can’t balance the oil and gas pressure. This can cause blowout accidents. When the underground pressure is high, increase the mud’s specific gravity. Adding barite powder to the mud is an effective measure to increase the mud specific gravity. The barite used for drilling mud generally has to have a fineness of more than 325 mesh. If the barite is not fine enough, precipitation is likely to occur. Drilling mud requires barite with a specific gravity over 4.2. It must have at least 95% BaSO4 and less than 1% soluble salts. The market for this use is large. But, due to low technical requirements, most domestic barite mines and barium sulfate makers can produce such products. So, competition is fierce.
Barite industry application 3: Lithopone pigment
As a high-quality white pigment, lithopone is widely used in the field of paint and painting. Heat barium sulfate and use a reducing agent. This makes barium sulfide (BaS). Then, react it with zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). This forms a mixture of 70% barium sulfate and 30% zinc sulfide, which is lithopone pigment. The barite for lithopone must be very pure. Its barium sulfate content must exceed 95%, with no visible colored impurities. The market has extremely strict requirements for lithopone. In addition to content and whiteness, the fineness must also reach at least 1250 mesh. Despite this, many demanding companies remain. They are mainly in the Pearl River and Yangtze River Deltas. The monthly demand of these companies is small. It’s about 100 to 200 tons, depending on their size. But, if production technology meets the standards, the lithopone market can be a key area for developing high-end products.
Barite industry application 4: Barite for filler industry
In paint manufacturing, barite powder is a filler. It improves the paint film’s thickness, firmness, and durability. Zinc-barium white pigment is better than lead and magnesium whites for indoor paint. The paint industry needs barite with fine particles and high whiteness. Also, barite is used as a filler in paper, rubber, and plastics. It enhances the hardness, wear resistance, and anti-aging properties of rubber and plastics. For rubber and papermaking, the barite filler must have: a BaSO4 content over 98%; a CaO content under 0.36%; and no magnesium oxide or lead.
1. Primers and mastic coatings:
Barite powder has a high filling capacity. So, it is suitable for various coatings, like primers and mastic coatings. Its low specific surface area, uniform particle size, and good fluidity cause very low wear during processing. Barium sulfate is ideal for automatic primer surfaces. It keeps high uniformity and smoothness, even with high filling.
2. Topcoats:
In chemical resistant coatings, barite powder outperforms most other fillers. Its inertness and insolubility in water, acids, and solvents, plus its fine, glossy particles, protect topcoats for a long time. Barium sulfate is recommended for topcoats to enhance surface hardness and color stability.
3. Latex paints:
Due to its weight, barite powder is mainly used in latex paints. It is especially used in high gloss and silk texture paints, known as “acid-resistant” latex paints. Its easy dispersibility, optical rotation retention and fluidity improve chemical performance. Barium sulfate is suitable for high gloss paints and latex paints.
4. Printing inks:
Barite powder is perfect for high-quality inks. It has low abrasion, high gloss, and stable color. It also has low cohesion and fluidity. Barium sulfate is particularly recommended for high optical rotation inks.
5. Wood coatings:
Barite powder has low cohesion, low light dispersion, and fine particles. So, it is ideal for pigment topcoats, varnishes, and spray paints. Studies have shown that barium sulfate has excellent chemical resistance and weather resistance.
6. Powder coatings:
In powder coatings, barite powder can improve gloss, fluidity, filling and pigment compatibility.
7. Adhesives:
Adding barite powder improves the adhesive’s rheology, filling, and chemical resistance.
8. Thermoplastics:
The thermal conductivity and fluidity of barite powder shorten the injection molding time. Also, barium sulfate, as a nucleating agent, boosts the plastic’s strength and heat stability.
9. Paper coating:
Barite powder improves the gloss and fluidity of paper coatings, like art paper and white translucent colored paper. In some cases, barium sulfate can replace titanium dioxide without losing gloss.
Barite industry application 5: Mineralizer for cement industry
In cement production, adding barite and fluorite mineralizers helps. It promotes the formation and activation of C3S. This improves clinker quality, boosts early cement strength by 20-25%, and raises later strength by 10%. The clinker burning temperature is reduced from 1450℃ to 1300±50℃. The best effect is achieved when the barite content is 0.8-1.5%. In making white cement, using barite and fluorite mineralizers lowers the burning temperature from 1500℃ to 1400℃. It also reduces free CaO, and improves strength and whiteness. Adding barite to the coal gangue cement raw material can greatly improve the strength of low-clinker cement, especially its early strength. This offers a way to use coal gangue. It can produce a low-calcium, energy-saving, early-strength, high-strength cement.
Barite industry application 6: radiation-proof cement, mortar and concrete
Barite absorbs X-rays. So, it is used to make barium cement, barite mortar, and barite concrete. These materials can replace metal lead plates. They shield nuclear reactors and protect buildings from X-rays, like in hospitals and labs. Barium cement is mainly sintered from barite and clay. It is mainly dibarium silicate. Gypsum is added to grind it. Its specific gravity is 4.7 to 5.2, higher than ordinary Portland cement. Its strength rating is 325 to 425. Barium cement has a high specific gravity. So, it can be mixed with heavy aggregates, like barite, to make a uniform, dense, X-ray-proof concrete. Barite mortar is a high-density mortar that can effectively block X-rays. It usually uses Portland cement with low heat of hydration. It is prepared in a ratio of 1:0.25:2.5:1 of cement: barite powder: barite sand: coarse sand. Barite concrete also has high density and X-ray shielding ability.
Commonly used cementitious materials include:
- Portland cement with low heat of hydration.
- High alumina cement.
- Barium cement.
- Strontium cement.
Of these, Portland cement is the most widely used.
The common mix ratio is cement: barite crushed stone: barite sand: water = 1:4.54:3.4:0.5 or 1:5.44:4.46:0.6 or 1:5:3.8:0.2. Barite for radiation-proof mortar and concrete must have at least 80% BaSO4. Impurities like gypsum, pyrite, sulfide, and sulfate must not exceed 7%.
Barite Industry Application 7: Road Construction
A rubber and asphalt mix with 10% barite has paved parking lots. It is durable. Heavy road construction equipment tires are partly filled with barite. This adds weight and helps compact fill areas.
Barite industry application eight: other uses
Barite is mixed with oil and applied to a cloth base to make oilcloth. Barite powder is used to refine kerosene. It is a gastrointestinal contrast agent in the pharmaceutical industry. It can also be used to make pesticides, leather, and fireworks. Also, barite is used to extract metallic barium. It’s used as a getter and binder in TVs and vacuum tubes. Metallic barium is alloyed with aluminum, magnesium, lead, and calcium. It’s used to make bearings. In summary, barite is a key non-metallic mineral. It has many uses in the chemical, construction, and machinery industries.
Ultrafine barite powder is produced by jet mill
Ultrafine barite powder is made with jet milling technology. It is efficient and can produce very fine particles. This process involves several key steps and characteristics:
Jet Milling Process
Jet milling uses high-speed compressed air or gas to accelerate particles through nozzles. This causes the particles to collide and reduce in size. This method makes ultrafine powders, with particles as small as 2.5 microns (D97) or smaller.
Equipment: The jet mill operates by feeding barite material into a chamber where it is accelerated to supersonic speeds. The particles collide in a controlled environment. This reduces their size without grinding media, which minimizes contamination.
Efficiency: Jet milling is known for its high efficiency. It can produce a narrow particle size distribution. It can achieve a 1-4 micron average particle size. It will maintain high purity and prevent agglomeration.
Production Capacity: Modern jet mills can handle high production volumes. Some systems can process up to 500 kg/h of barite material.
Environmental Considerations: Jet milling is preferred for its low environmental impact. It generates minimal waste and requires no extensive cleaning, unlike traditional grinding methods.
Advantages of Jet Milling for Barite Powder
High Purity: Without grinding media, there’s less risk of contamination from wear particles.
Controlled Particle Size: Operators can fine-tune the process to achieve specific particle sizes for various industrial uses.
Scalability: Jet milling technology can be easily scaled up for larger production needs, without sacrificing quality.
Project case of producing ultra-fine barite powder using jet milling
