Barium

Abstract

Barium belongs to Group 2(IIA) of the Perioidic Table. In its natural form, barium never occurs as the metal because of its reactivity, but is almost always found as the ore barite. China and India account for 70% of the world's barite supplies. Barium metal is produced by the reduction of barium oxide with a less nonvolatile element, usually aluminum. Barium's economic information is based on barite. Barite is used in the oil and gas drilling industries where it is used to make drilling mud. Barium metal reacts with water and acids. Contact with skin causes irritation and possible corrosive damage. Barium occurs in seawater . The terrestrial abundance of barium is ∼ 250 g/t. The major use of barium is the production of barium‐aluminum alloy‐evaporation getters (gas absorbers) in CRTs for television sets and computer monitors. It is also used to improve performance of lead alloys grids of acid batteries and in barium‐nickel alloys for spark plug electrodes and in vacuum tubes.