Barium Chloride is a significant inorganic salt and fundamental barium compound, known for its notable toxicity, high solubility in water, and ability to form precipitates with various anions. Its production primarily employs the carbothermal reduction of barite (barium sulfate), with the mainstream process involving multiple steps: "barite + coal → roasting → barium sulfide → reaction with calcium chloride → barium chloride".

❋ Aliases: Barium Chloride Dihydrate (common commercial form)
❋ English Name: Barium Chloride
❋ Chemical Formula: BaCl₂ (common commercial form: BaCl₂·2H₂O)
❋ Molecular Weight: 208.23 (anhydrous), 244.26 (dihydrate)
❋ CAS Number: 10361-37-2 (anhydrous), 10326-27-9 (dihydrate)

Key Properties: Soluble barium salt, highly toxic, forms precipitate with sulfate, hygroscopic

Frontier Application Scenarios

1. "Precipitant and Purifying Agent" in Industrial Processing

   • Deep sulfate removal: Used in brine refining and boiler feed water treatment to precipitate and remove sulfate ions, preventing scaling;

   • Non-ferrous metal purification: Serves as a purifying agent in electrolytic zinc and lead processes to remove trace sulfate impurities from solutions.

2. "Basic Raw Material and Intermediate" in Chemical Manufacturing

   • Synthesis of other barium salts: Acts as a fundamental raw material for producing other barium compounds like barium hydroxide, carbonate, and titanate;

   • Pigment and dye manufacturing: Used in producing barium-based pigments or as a precipitant in dye synthesis.

3. "Functional Component" in Materials Science

   • Heat treatment salt baths: Serves as a component in medium-to-high temperature salt baths for quenching and tempering steel parts and alloys;

   • Specialty glass additive: Added in small amounts to adjust the refractive index and stability of glass.

4. "Reference Reagent" in Laboratory and Analysis

   • Quantitative sulfate analysis: Used as a standard reagent to accurately determine sulfate content in solutions via barium sulfate precipitation;

   • Teaching demonstration experiments: Employed in classic chemistry experiments to demonstrate precipitation reactions and ion identification.

Technological Breakthroughs and Sustainable Development

• Green process development: Explores new pathways using reactions of barium carbonate or hydroxide with hydrochloric acid to replace traditional energy-intensive and polluting carbothermal reduction;

• Closed-loop production: Optimizes production processes to enable recycling of by-products, such as hydrogen sulfide or calcium residues generated during the process;

• Safe formulations and packaging: Promotes the use of granular or tablet forms that are less prone to dusting, with sealed packaging featuring clear warning labels to reduce transportation and usage risks;

• Wastewater and residue treatment: Develops efficient precipitation-immobilization technologies for the harmless treatment of barium-containing wastewater and residues, preventing environmental contamination.