Definition and Uses :
Barium chloride can be prepared from barium hydroxide or barium carbonate; barium carbonate occurs naturally as mineral ores. These basic salts react with hydrochloric acid to give hydrated barium chloride. On an industrial scale, it is prepared from barite (barium sulfate) in a two-step process.
BaSO 4 (s) + 4 C (s) → BaS (s) +4 CO (g)
This first step requires high temperature.
BaS + CaC 2 BaCl → 2 + CaS
The second step requires the fusion of the reactants. BaCl2 can then be filtered through its mixture with water. barium chloride can be crystallized from water solutions as the dihydrate, white crystals: BaCl2 2H2O