8
For the above three purposes the barite is ground to the
fineness of flour, and in the case of the first two it is also lixiviated,
as described later, in order to remove any stain.
Rubber manufacturing. Barite is used for “weighting” or
“filling”. For this purpose the mineral is very finely ground,
but need not be lixiviated as the colour is not of much importance.
The presence of barite, it is claimed, is desirable in rubber up
to a certain percentage, as it adds to the resiliency and the
durability of the product.
Textile manufacturing. A very small quantity of finely
powdered lixiviated barite is used in Canada for filling cotton
goods.
Wall Paper manufacturing. Barite is used in the prepar
ation of certain pigments employed in the printing of wall paper.
The colours are precipitated on barite. For this purpose the
mineral is finely ground and lixiviated. Absence of colour is
essential.
Tanning industry. In the finishing of some leathers barite
enters into the composition of the dressing. For this it is finely
ground but need not be lixiviated.
Chemical manufacturing. Barite is used as a source of
barium in the manufacturing of various chemicals.
In addition to the above uses to which barite is put, it has
been stated that it is used to some extent as an adulterant in
candy making, etc. This is, of course, not legitimate. The
writer is not aware of any being used in Canada for this
purpose.
Lithopone, consisting of zinc oxide, zinc sulphide, and
barium sulphate, is manufactured in the following manner.
Solutions of zinc sulphate and barium sulphide are mixed,
producing a heavy white precipitate of zinc sulphide and barium
sulphate. This is carefully dried and roasted in a furnace,
with the result that some of the zinc sulphide is converted to
zinc oxide. The barium sulphide used is produced by heating a
mixture of barite and charcoal, which causes a reduction of
the barium sulphate to barium sulphide.
There is no one manufacturing this in Canada according
to the writer’s knowledge.
