Barite, Also Called Barytes or Heavy Spar, the Most Abundant Barium Mineral in The Earth's Crust

Barite

Barite is a mineral made from barium sulfate and is usually white. It is a main source of barium. It is one of several minerals in the barite group, which also includes celestine, anglesite, and anhydrite. These minerals all form a solid solution of barium and sulfate (SO4). It is commonly found in hot springs, and the finest crystals can grow up to three feet in length. Some of the largest crystals have been found in Cumbria, Derbyshire, and Cornwall. The mineral can also be found in Oklahoma and Colorado. It can also occur in various shades of blue.

It is most commonly found in the form of large tabular crystals and rosette-like aggregates. Barite is a common mineral and is used for many industrial applications. It is often used in the production of paper and rubber products. It is also used in drilling fluids as a weighting agent. Its high specific gravity also helps to prevent blowouts in oil wells. Barium compounds are also used as additives and fillers in industrial products. Its global production has increased over the past couple of decades, largely due to oil-well drilling.

Barite can be found in many different types of rocks. It is also commonly found in hydrothermal veins. Generally, barite forms in the presence of other minerals. For example, it is often found with ore minerals, including fluorite. It can also occur in oxidized parts of ore deposits. Barite that is used as an aggregate in a heavy cement is crushed and screened to a uniform size. Most barite is ground to a small, uniform size before it is used as a filler or extender, an addition to industrial products, or a weighting agent in petroleum well drilling mud specification barite.

Barite is also used in a wide variety of other applications including plastics, rubber mud-flaps, clutch pads, mold release compounds, televisions, computers, radiation shielding, paint, brake linings, traffic cones, golf balls, and sound-deadening material in automobiles. In Mexico, barite deposits have been discovered in Hermosillo, Pueblo, Monterrey and Durango. Whereas, major deposits in the U.S. have been found in Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, and Tennessee.

Barite is a vital industrial mineral that is highly sought after in the oil and gas, paint and coatings, and pharmaceutical industries due to its characteristics like low solubility, high density, chemical inertness, and low cost.