Barite is a mineral composed of barium sulfate (BaSO4). This name is in response to barite's high specific gravity of 4.5, which is exceptional for a nonmetallic mineral. The high specific gravity of barite makes it suitable for a wide range of industrial, medical, and manufacturing uses. Barite also serves as the principal ore of barium.
Barite is generally easy to identify. It is one of just a few non metallic minerals with a specific gravity of four or higher. Combine that with its low Mohs hardness (2.5 to 3.5) and its three directions of right-angle cleavage, and the mineral can usually be reliably identified with just three observations.
Test/Parameters | Method | Result | Unit |
---|---|---|---|
Barium Sulphate(as BaSO4) | IS 7588:1992 | 90.69 | %(w/w) |
Density | API 13A/ISO 13500:2009 | 4.222 | g/ml |
Residue greater than 75um | API 13A/ISO 13500:2009 | 1.12 | %(w/w) |
Residue greater than 45um | API 13A/ISO 13500:2009 | 12.59 | %(w/w) |
Water soluble alkaline earth | API 13A/ISO 13500:2009 | 56 | mg/kg |
Carbonate(as CO3) | IS 7588:1992 | 850 | mg/kg |
Sulphides(as S) | SO-IN-MUL-TE-118 | 16 | mg/kg |
Mercury (as Hg) | API 13I/ISO 10416:2008 | ND(DL:0.5) | ppm |
Cadium (as cd) | API 13I/ISO 10416:2008 | ND(DL:0.5) | ppm |
Physical appearance | B\By visual examination | Grey color powder | |
Lead(as pb) | SO-IN-MUL-TE-109 | 1 | ppm |
Cement Contamination(PH of 10% aqueous suspension) | pH of 10% aqueous suspension | 8.72 |