Barium chloride
Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAR : Barium chloride
| Barium chloride | |
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| General | |
| Molecular formula | BaCl2 |
| Molar mass | 208.232 g/mol |
| Appearance | White solid |
| CAS number | 10361-37-2 |
| Properties | |
| Density and phase | 3.856 g/cm3, solid |
| Solubility in water | 37.5 g/100 ml (26°C) |
| Solubility in methanol | 1.7 g/100g |
| Solubility in ethanol | Slightly soluble |
| Melting point | 962°C |
| Boiling point | 1560°C |
| Magnetic Susceptibility | -7.26e-005 cm3/mol |
| Structure | |
| Coordination geometry | ? |
| Crystal structure | monoclinic or orthorhombic |
| Thermodynamic data | |
| Std enthalpy of formation ΔfH | −858.56 kJ/mol |
| Standard molar entropy S | 123.70 J·K−1·mol−1 |
| Heat of Fusion | 76.1 J/g |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | External MSDS |
| EU classification | Toxic (T) |
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properties
data
Solid, liquid, gas
Barium bromide
Barium iodide
Strontium chloride
materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
[Chemical infoboxInfobox disclaimer and references]
Barium chloride (BaCl2) is a salt of barium and chlorine. It is ionic and water-soluble. It is toxic like other barium salts. It imparts a yellow-green coloration to a flame.
Chemical properties
Since barium chloride is soluble in water, it can react with sulfate ion to produce a thick white precipitate of barium sulfate. It is also hygroscopic.BaCl2(aq) + SO42-(aq) → BaSO4(s) + 2 Cl-(aq)
Barium chloride behaves as a simple salt, and it is completely neutral in solution.
Preparation
Barium chloride may be prepared from barium hydroxide or barium carbonate (found naturally as witherite) reacting with hydrochloric acid. On an industrial scale, it can be prepared via a two step process from barite (barium sulfate)[4]:BaSO4 + 4 C → BaS + 4 CO (done with heat)
BaS + CaCl2 → BaCl2 + CaS (done by fusion of the mixture)
The BaCl2 can then be leached out from the mixture with water.
Uses
As a cheap, soluble salt of barium, barium chloride finds wide application in the laboratory. Most commonly it is used as a test for sulfate ion (see chemical properties above). It can be used to prepare other insoluble salts such as the oxalate by precipitation:BaCl2(aq) + Na2C2O4(aq) → Ba2C2O4 (s) + 2 NaCl(aq)
In industry barium chloride is mainly used in the purification of brine solution in caustic chlorine plants and also in the manufacture of heat treatment salts, case hardening of steel, in the manufacture of pigments, and in the manufacture of other barium salts. BaCl2 is also used in fireworks to give a bright green colour. However, its toxicity limits its applicability.
Precautions
Highly toxic- 0.8-0.9g is fatal.References
- N. N. Greenwood, A. Earnshaw, Chemistry of the Elements, Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 1984.
- Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 71st edition, CRC Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1990.
- The Merck Index, 7th edition, Merck & Co., Rahway, New Jersey, 1960.
- H. Nechamkin, The Chemistry of the Element, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968.
External links
- [International Chemical Safety Card 0614]. (anhydrous)
- [International Chemical Safety Card 0615]. (dihydrate)
- [NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards].
- [European Chemicals Bureau].
- [Barium chloride's use in industry].
- For a full list of external links to MSDSs, spectroscopic data, commercial chemicals suppliers etc. for this compound, see [Chemical sources].
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