How to Prepare Barium Carbonate: Simple Steps and Large-Scale Production

What Is Barium Carbonate?

Barium carbonate, with the chemical formula BaCO₃, is a white powder belonging to the family of alkaline earth metal carbonates. It is widely used in ceramics, glass, bricks, electronics, and fireworks, serving as a crucial raw material in the chemical industry.

Key Points for Preparing Barium Carbonate

Producing barium carbonate requires suitable raw materials and methods, primarily categorized into laboratory synthesis and industrial production.

Why Is Preparing Barium Carbonate Challenging? (Problem)

1. Safety Risks: Barium compounds are toxic. Raw materials like barium chloride, barium sulfide, or barium nitrate can harm human health through contact or inhalation if not handled properly.
2. Equipment and Process Requirements: Some methods demand special equipment such as kilns, furnaces, or filters, and may involve high-temperature treatment, generation of harmful gases like hydrogen sulfide, or industrial waste disposal.
3. Quality Control Dilemmas: Improper operations can lead to low-purity products containing byproducts like sodium sulfide or toxic dust, affecting the performance of downstream products (e.g., ceramics, glass).

Why Does the Preparation Process Matter? (Impact)

• Inadequate operation results in low-purity barium carbonate, failing to meet quality requirements for ceramics, glass, etc.
• Barium salt leakage may cause health risks and even economic losses or customer churn.
• Correct preparation procedures and processes are core to ensuring product quality and safety.

Our Solution (Solution)

Hunan Shangge Chemical Co., Ltd. is a trusted barium carbonate manufacturer with rich experience in producing and wholesale customizing barium nitrate and barium carbonate. Our advantages include:

• High-purity products with full-process quality control;
• Safe and compliant production processes;
• Fast delivery, customized order support, and professional technical services.

1. Safety First: Precautions for Barium Compounds

• Protection Measures: Wear gloves, goggles, masks, work in a ventilated environment, and properly dispose of chemical waste.
• Special Reminder: Barium carbonate has low water solubility, but soluble barium salts like barium nitrate and barium chloride are more toxic and require extra caution.

2. Methods for Preparing Barium Carbonate

A. Laboratory Synthesis: Precipitation from Soluble Salts

Required Materials:

• Barium chloride (BaCl₂), sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) or ammonium carbonate, water;
• Beakers, glass rods, filter paper, funnels, drying ovens, balances.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Solution Preparation: Dissolve barium chloride and sodium carbonate in water respectively.
2. Mixing Reaction: Pour the two solutions into the same beaker and stir to form white barium carbonate precipitate.
3. Filtration: Filter the mixture with filter paper to separate the precipitate.
4. Washing: Rinse the precipitate with clean water to remove impurities.
5. Drying and Grinding: Dry the precipitate at low temperature and grind it into powder.

Chemical Reaction Equations:

plaintext

BaCl₂(aq) + Na₂CO₃(aq) → BaCO₃(s) + 2NaCl(aq)  
Ba(NO₃)₂ + Na₂CO₃ → BaCO₃ + 2NaNO₃  

(This belongs to double displacement reaction or precipitation method.)

B. Industrial Production: Barite (Barium Sulfate) Calcination Method (Soda Ash Process/Black Ash Process)

Core Steps:

1. Reduction of Barite:
   • Raw materials: Barite (BaSO₄) reacts with coal at high temperature in a kiln:plaintextBaSO₄(s) + 2C(s) → BaS(s) + 2CO₂(g)
     Generates barium sulfide (black ash).
2. Leaching: Mix barium sulfide with water to form a barium sulfide solution.
3. Precipitation:
   • Add sodium carbonate (soda ash):plaintextBaS(aq) + Na₂CO₃(aq) → BaCO₃(s) + Na₂S(aq)
   • Or introduce carbon dioxide gas:plaintextBa(OH)₂(aq) + CO₂(g) → BaCO₃(s) + H₂O(l)
4. Filtration, Washing, and Drying: Separate the precipitate with a filter press, wash to remove sodium sulfide, and dry barium carbonate.
5. Grinding: Grind the solid into powder for ceramics, glass, etc.

Industrial Equipment: Barite, coal/natural gas, soda ash, kilns, leaching tanks, filter presses, dryers, etc.

3. Method Comparison Table

Indicator	Laboratory Precipitation Method	Industrial Soda Ash Method
Raw Materials	BaCl₂ + Na₂CO₃	BaSO₄ + C + Na₂CO₃/CO₂
Key Steps	Dissolution, mixing, filtration	Kiln reduction, leaching, precipitation, drying
Production Scale	Grams to kilograms	Tons or more
Purity	>99%	98-99.5%+ (requires washing)
Byproducts	NaCl, water	Na₂S, H₂O, CO₂, slag
Equipment	Beakers, drying ovens	Kilns, filter presses, dryers
Safety Risks	Toxic salt leakage	Hydrogen sulfide gas, high-temperature slag

4. Purification of Barium Carbonate

• Methods: Multiple washing, recrystallization, precision filtration, temperature-controlled drying, combined with chemical analysis for purity testing.
• Industry Requirements: High-purity barium carbonate with extremely low sulfur and iron content is needed for high-end fields like electronics.

5. Applications of Barium Carbonate

• Ceramics (tiles, glazes), glass (coloring and polishing), electronic devices, brick manufacturing, fireworks, etc.

6. Process Control Data

Method	Energy Consumption	Purity	Byproducts	Safety Risks	Yield
Laboratory Precipitation	Low	>99%	NaCl	Toxicity of soluble barium salts	>95%
Industrial Soda Ash	High (kiln)	98-99.5%+	Na₂S, CO₂, etc.	Gases, high temperature, dust	>95%

7. Why Choose Hunan Shangge Chemical?

• Pain Points: Need for safe and high-purity barium carbonate and barium nitrate to avoid production issues caused by impure products.
• Advantages: High-purity products, fast delivery, customized production, wholesale prices, and professional technical support, making us a leading manufacturer in inorganic synthesis.

Conclusion

• Laboratory Preparation: React barium chloride with sodium carbonate, followed by filtration, washing, and drying.
• Industrial Production: Reduce barite, leach, precipitate, dry, and grind; large-scale production requires attention to safety and energy consumption.
• Hunan Shangge Chemical provides full-chain solutions from production to wholesale, helping customers efficiently obtain high-quality barium carbonate.

Click here to learn more about our barium carbonate factory and supply