Barium Carbonate


barium carbonate

[′bar·ē·əm ′kär·bə·nət] (inorganic chemistry) BaCO3 A white powder with a melting point of 174°C; soluble in acids (except sulfuric acid); used in rodenticides, ceramic flux, optical glass, and television picture tubes.

Barium Carbonate

 

BaCO3, a salt; colorless crystals with a density of 4.3–4.4 g/cm3 and a melting point of 1740° C. Poorly soluble in water (20 mg per liter at 18° C) and highly soluble in hydrochloric and nitric acids. Barium carbonate is found in nature in the form of the mineral witherite. It is produced from barium sulfide by the reaction BaS + H2O + CO2 = BaCO3 + H2S. It is used in producing other barium compounds, in softening water, and in the manufacture of optical glass, enamels, and glazes.