BARIUM
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In News
- Scientists have detected barium in the upper atmosphere of two giant exoplanets for the first time, noted a new study.
- These exoplanets are two ultra-hot Jupiters — WASP-76b and WASP-121b — which orbit their host stars WASP 76 and WASP 121,
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About
- Barium is a silvery-white metal that can be found in the environment, where it exists naturally
- Barium is a soft, silvery metal that rapidly tarnishes in air and reacts with water.
- Barium, two and half times heavier than iron, is the heaviest-ever detected element.
Uses
- Barium is not an extensively used element. Most is used in drilling fluids for oil and gas wells. It is also used in paint and in glassmaking.
- All barium compounds are toxic; however, barium sulfate is insoluble and so can be safely swallowed. A suspension of barium sulfate is sometimes given to patients suffering from digestive disorders. This is a ‘barium meal’ or ‘barium enema’.
- In a purer form it is used as X-ray radiocontrast agents for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract. Barium is a heavy element and scatters X-rays, so as it passes through the body the stomach and intestines can be distinguished on an X-ray.
- Barium carbonate has been used in the past as a rat poison. Barium nitrate gives fireworks a green colour.
- It is a component of YBCO (high-temperature superconductors) and electroceramics, and is added to steel and cast iron to reduce the size of carbon grains within the microstructure.
- Water-soluble barium compounds are poisonous and have been used as rodenticides.
Natural abundance
- Because of its high chemical reactivity, barium is never found in nature as a free element.
- Barium occurs only in combination with other elements. The major ores are barite (barium sulfate) and witherite (barium carbonate). Barium metal can be prepared by electrolysis of molten barium chloride, or by heating barium oxide with aluminium powder.
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