Barytes is naturally occurring barium Mineral (Baso4) BaO =65.7%,So3= 34.3% It is a very common Gangu mineals in metalliferous Hydrothermal veins , Epithermal mesothermal origin, in association with folouriteSphalerite, Galena, Calcite etc and Barytes veins to form in Limestone rising by leaching of compound from rocks containing these and being deposited by either magmatic or meteoric solutions. It may found as lenses or replacement deposit in sedimentary rocks both of hypogene (formation of mineral deposits by ascending fluid) and supergene origin.

USES AND SPECIFICATIONS :

Oil and Gas Drilling

The properties like insolubility in water,inertness and high specific gravity enable barites application as a weighting agent in drilling operations to control pressure, prevent blow-out and at the same time to provide lubrication.Barytes powder containing minimum 90% barium sulphate with 4.15 specific gravity is recommended for drilling. For offshore drilling, the specific gravity should be 4.2. At least 97% groundbarytes should pass through 75- micron IS sieve and 95% through 53- micron IS sieve.

Chemical

Major barium chemicals obtained from barites are carbonate, chloride, oxide, hydroxide, nitrate,peroxide and sulphate. Barium carbonate isused in glass industry, electro-ceramics and for removing inconvenient impurities in phosphoric acid. Barium hydroxide is used in the preparation of barium salts of organic acids which are utilised as additives for lubricating oils and as stabilisers for PVC. Barium sulphate is used as pigment, extender and filler in rubber and paper industries.Lithopone, a mixture of BaSO and ZnS, isused in paint and lacquer industries as white pigment, extenders and fillers. Barium nitrate is used in green signal flares, tracer bullets, primers and detonators. Barium oxide is used in electric furnace. Barium titanate finds use in miniature electronic and communication equipment. Barytes is also used in explosive manufacture. For chemical industry, purity is the prime criterion, with ferric oxide and strontium sulphate limited to a maximum 1% and fluorine to traces.The mesh size is also important in manufacturing chemicals. Barytes used in explosive manufacture may be bleached or unbleached. It should be in dry powder form free from extraneous matter

Paint

Barytes is used as filler and extender in paint industry. White pigment is manufactured from barytes. Barytes should be free from mud, clay or siliceous minerals. Presence of iron oxide is undesirable. The material should be in the form of dry powder.

Glass

In glass manufacturing, barytes is added as flux to the glass melt for making the glass more workable and enhancing its brilliance. Iron is the most undesirable impurity in Baryte.

Rubber

Barytes is used as a filler and extender in rubber products. It is added to rubber compounds for reinforcement. Barytes containing minimum 99.5% BaSO4 is usually preferred.Since such purity material is not found in nature, before use, barytes is normally bleached called 'blanc fixe'. The sieve residue through 75-micron and 150- micron sieve should be 4% and 0.01%

Other Uses

Barytes is used in the manufacture of asbestos products required for autobrake lining and other frictional materials. It is used as a filler in paper industry. Finely ground barytes and clay are used as suspension in Barvois system of coal washing.Barytes is also used in concrete aggregate required for reactor shielding. In medicine it is used in radiodiagnosis to highlight the abnormalisation of internal body parts. Barytes also finds use in explosives and pyrotechnics composition.