Barium sulfate
A dense, white mineral used in pigments, X-rays, and industry
No single value: Barium sulfate is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, white.
Barium sulfate is a white, crystalline solid that occurs naturally as the mineral barite. It is best known for its use as a pigment in paints and as a radiocontrast agent in medical imaging, thanks to its opacity and high density. Its insolubility makes it safe for these uses, despite barium’s toxicity in other forms.
- Main source is the mineral barite
- Used in X-ray imaging as a safe contrast agent
- Key ingredient in white paint and photographic paper
- Highly reflective and dense
- Non-toxic due to its insolubility
What colour is Barium sulfate?
Barium sulfate is a white, crystalline powder or solid that is dense and does not dissolve in water. It stands out from other white pigments because it is almost completely opaque to X-rays and is much heavier than most similar materials. In oil paint, it is nearly transparent and is often used to change the consistency rather than the colour. Its high reflectivity also makes it useful in coatings and papers that need to look bright or reflect light evenly.
Where does Barium sulfate come from?
The name 'barium sulfate' comes from its chemical makeup: barium, sulfur, and oxygen. In nature, it is found as the mineral barite, which is the main source for commercial production. The synthetic form, called blanc fixe (French for 'permanent white'), is made for use in products like paints and photographic paper. Barium sulfate has been used since at least the 19th century in industry and art, and its unique properties were discovered when people noticed its heavy, white crystals in mineral deposits.
How is Barium sulfate made?
Most barium sulfate is obtained from barite, a mineral mined from the earth. To purify it, barite is heated with carbon to make barium sulfide, which is then treated with sulfuric acid to form pure barium sulfate. This process produces a fine, white powder known as blanc fixe. In laboratories, it can also be made by mixing solutions containing barium and sulfate ions, which immediately form a solid that settles out of the mixture.
Where Barium sulfate is used
Barium sulfate is widely used in industry and art. In painting, it serves as a pigment and filler, often mixed with other whites. It is a key ingredient in photographic paper coatings, where it helps create a bright, reflective surface. In medicine, it is used as a radiocontrast agent for X-ray imaging of the digestive system. Its high density makes it valuable in plastics, where it adds weight and opacity, and in drilling fluids for oil wells to control pressure. It is also used in ceramics, paper, and as a light diffuser.
White around the world
What the white family means from country to country.
The Taliban flag is white with the Muslim declaration of faith in black. It replaced the black, red and green tricolour of the republic in 2021.
Politics and protestSacred and holySource: Flag of AfghanistanThe Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo wore white headscarves as they marched to demand news of children who disappeared under the dictatorship of 1976 to 1983.
Politics and protestMourning and deathCourageSource: Mothers of Plaza de MayoThe wiphala, a square flag of 49 small squares in seven colours with a white diagonal, stands for the Andean peoples. It has been a second national flag since 2009.
Politics and protestPrideSource: WiphalaOn New Year's Eve crowds on the beaches dress in white for peace in the year ahead. The custom comes from the Afro-Brazilian religions, whose followers wear white.
Luck and prosperityFestival and celebrationSacred and holyHopeSource: New Year's EveAn ordinary citizen's kabney is white with fringes. It must be worn to enter a dzong, the fortress that houses both monks and government offices.
Purity and peaceSource: KabneyA red cross on white, the Swiss flag reversed, marks medical staff and aid workers in war and must not be attacked under the Geneva Conventions.
Protection and healingTrustSource: Emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementShades and relatives of Barium sulfate
Barium sulfate is sometimes confused with other white pigments like titanium white (titanium dioxide) and zinc white (zinc oxide), but it is less opaque and often used as a filler. When combined with zinc sulfide, it forms lithopone, another white pigment. The natural mineral form, barite, may contain impurities, while synthetic blanc fixe is highly pure and used in sensitive applications like medical imaging and fine art.
Questions people ask about Barium sulfate
What colour is barium sulfate?
Barium sulfate is a white, crystalline solid. It is often used for its bright, opaque appearance in pigments and coatings.
Where does the name barium sulfate come from?
The name comes from its chemical composition: it contains barium, sulfur, and oxygen. The mineral form is called barite.
What is barium sulfate used for?
It is used in paints, photographic paper, plastics, and as a radiocontrast agent in medical X-ray imaging. Its density and opacity make it valuable in these roles.
Is barium sulfate safe?
Yes, barium sulfate is considered non-toxic because it does not dissolve in water, so the body does not absorb it. This makes it safe for use in medical imaging.
How is barium sulfate made?
It is mainly produced from the mineral barite, which is processed and purified to create a fine, white powder called blanc fixe.
Good reading and sources
- Barium sulfate on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Barium sulfate", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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