Barite

=__**Barite**__=



1. Properties: Color: Colorless, white, light blue, light yellow, light red, light green Streak: white Luster: vitreous Diaphaneity: transparent to translucent Cleavage: very good, basal, prismatic Hardness: 2.5-3.5 Specific gravity: 4.5 Characteristics: high specific gravity, three cleavage directions at right angles, cleavage Crystal System: orthorhombic Chemical Classification: sulfate Chemical Composition: barium sulfate, BASO4

2. Barite or Baryte is mainly used as a “weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration” to prevent blowouts. It is also used in glass ceramics, medical applications, cement, cars, trucks, plastic, and paint.

3. There are 9 drilling sites for Barite in the US. There are much more in India and China. About 33% of Barite is mined in the US

4. Barite is the main source of Barium. It is usually mined from open pits of Barite mine but it also depends on the degree of cementation of the rock.

5. The resources of Barite are estimated to be 150 million tons in the United States and about 2 billion tons worldwide.

6. Substitutes are Celestite or iron ore, but everyone prefers Barite.

sources: http://geology.com/minerals/barite.shtml http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photobarium.html http://mines.az.gov/Publications/circ004barite.html http://www.mineralco.net/barite/index.php