Precipitated barium sulfate is an important fundamental chemical raw materials. Because chemically it is of inertness,good stability,acid and alkali-resistant, moderate hardness, high brightness, high gloss and fine ability of absorbing harmful x and γ-ray, precipitated barium sulfate is recognized as an environmentally friendly functional material.

It is widely as used a filler in a variety of transparent enhanced masterbatch, color masterbatch, paints (powder coating, automotive paint, marine paint, exterior wall paint, anti-corrosion paint,) PCB inks, printing inks, modified plastics (PP, ABS, PE, PS, PA, PBT, PET, electric appliance housings, films, building plastics, etc.), an elastomer, a polyester, paper, cosmetics and others.
It can be used as medical swallow agent (called barium meal), expansion rods for battery cathodes, manufacture of ceramic, enamel glaze material, surface coating agent for printing paper and art paper, sizing agents for textile industry, clarifying agent for glass products(for anti-foaming and increasing gloss).
It can be used as anti-radiation protective wall material used for nuclear facilities, nuclear power plants and X-ray laboratories,which can play a good shielding effect. Having an X-ray image function it can be used for medical fibers and developing children's toys. For drainage, speakers, sound sytems it can effectively isolate various noises. It can also be used in industries such as perfumery and pigments.

Production technology of Glauber - Barium sulfide method

Glauber method is the traditional method as of mature technology and strong applicability, the feeding material are barite and glauber, and the byproduct is sodium sulfide.For this method, the chemical reaction formula is as follows:

BaSO4 + 4C → BaS + 4CO
BaS + Na2SO4 → BaSO4 + Na2S

Specific process is: barite and coal powder shall be mixed in a certain proportion, and then feeding into the roaster from the rear, contact with high-temperature air, and make reduction reaction at high temperature of 1100 ~ 1 500 ℃ . the reaction requires heat source is resulted from combustion of pulverized coal or heavy oil.
As result, the preparation of barium sulfide clinker (commonly known as "black and gray") is made, and after leaching then sedimental clarification, concentration of barium sulfide will reach up to 130 ~ 160 g/L. Meanwhile amount of barium sulfate waste water (dilute sodium sulfide solution) shall be injected into the nitrate tank, and heated with steam to above 40 ℃. Then start the mixer, feed glauber into the tank, and continue to heat up to 90 ℃. The impurites of calcium and magnesiumas shall be removed using sodium, concentration of nitrate water shall be controlled between 1.2 ~ 1.22 g/cm3, and then nitrate solution shall be insulated, settled and reserved.
After the abovementioned two solutions are clarified, clear sloutions by a certain percentage  shall be put into the chemical tank, then metathesis reaction will be made, and the reaction shall end at the equivalence point or when achieving a slight excess of halogen barium. Next step, The barium sulfate and sodium sulfide solution prepared together shall put into the solid-liquid separation filter, and clear solution of sodium sulfide shall flow into recovery system with the process of be concentrated by evaporation. The solide barium sulfate filled will be discharged into the slurry pool after being washed with water and pickling, and during the process the pH value shall be adjusted up to 2-8 with sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid. After acidification, frame filter pressing machine will be used to remove excess water, then barium sulfate cake will be transported through the conveyor to dryer drum for drying, and eventually will be pulverized into various fine powder by Raymond  and final precipitated barium sulfate will be packed in warehouse.

As by-product of this process, sodium sulfide is widely used in the pharmaceutical, paper, leather and hair removal agents, sulfur and other industries, especially the rapid development of special engineering industries such as polyphenylene sulfide contributes to the development of sodium sulfide industry. In traditional dye industry, as foreign production plant closed, and Chinese sulphic enterprises can continue expanding production capaction, so that China has become the world's largest producer and consumer of sodium sulfide, sulfide dyestuff has also become a major downstream users of sodium sulfide.
Glauber method is recongnized as longer production process, yet with more protruding pollution issue.Still the technology is mature while it can bring industrial sodium sulfide as by-product. Whiteness of precipitated barium sulfate is very good, and after mechanical grinding, the maximum grain size is of 10μm, while the average particle size is about 0.5 ~ 1.2 μm, so particle size distribution is broad and not so even, thus it may generate light scattering in usage, so that the film is bleak with not high gloss. So such properties produced by this process may limit its use in high grade paint and coatins, and it can just meet requirement of general quality in middle and low filed as in ink, ceramics and other areas.