Barium is a metal that can be used to produce pyrotechnics.
Barium is a metal whose atomic number is 56 . It is a heavy and soft chemical element, which is found in different minerals and can be found abundantly in the crust of planet Earth .
To fully discover the meaning of the term, we have to explain that it is a word whose etymological origin is in the Greek barys , which can be translated as "heavy" .
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The concept was coined by the English chemist Humphry Davy ( 1778 – 1828 ) in 1808 . This scientist also played a fundamental role in the discovery of other elements such as potassium, calcium, aluminum and magnesium.
Already in the Middle Ages, alchemists began to investigate the properties of barium through barite, without knowing how to isolate it. Only at the beginning of the 19th century was it isolated by Davy in England .
Characteristics of barium
The symbol for barium, whose name derives from the English barium , is Ba . This metal boils at a temperature of 1845 degrees Celsius, while its melting point is 727 degrees Celsius.
Barite and barite are the most important barium ores. It should be remembered that, in the field of mining, a mineral is called ore when it allows a metal to be obtained from metallurgy . In this case, barite and barite make it possible to obtain barium.
On a chemical level, barium is similar to calcium , although it is more reactive. Barium, in this sense, reacts in the presence of copper and oxidizes quickly when in contact with water or oxygen . It also reacts with alcohol .
Barium is used to make glass lenses.
Its use
Barium can be used in the field of radiology as a contrast medium, to manufacture shields against radiation, in the coating of electrical conductors and in the production of pyrotechnics. The production of glass lenses and the manufacture of vermin poison are other uses of barium and its derivatives.
In the same way, we cannot forget that barium is also used in other areas and sectors such as the following:
- For the preparation of certain types of paints.
- For the creation of various kinds of rubber.
- To shape glass in general.
- It is used for different purposes within the oil industry.
- To create vehicle ignition systems.
Dangers of barium
In the same way, we cannot ignore the consequences that barium can cause in the human body when exposed to high quantities:
- If a small amount is ingested, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea will occur.
- It can cause anything from paralysis to an accelerated heart rate if ingested in large quantities.
- It can also cause death if the dose taken is high.