Barium, Carbonate of

BaCO 3 . Syn. Carbonate of Bary′ta ; Bary′tæ car′bon as , L.; Carbonate de baryte , ., Fr.; Kohl ens aures, baryt , ., Ger. A heavy white ma or powder, very nearly insoluble in water, and decomposed by nearly all the acids. It is found in the crude state abundantly in nature, but can only be obtained absolutely pure by adding an alkaline carbonate to a solution of chloride of barium, or by saturating the hydrate with carbonic anhydride, and in either case washing and drying the precipitate. Native carbonate of barium ( witherite ) is ordered in the pharma copœias, and is sufficiently pure for making the barium salts, the only purpose to which it is therein applied. Uses. In pharmacy , ., chiefly to prepare barium salts. In chemistry , to separate certain metallic oxides when occurring together in solutions. In the arts , as a base for certain delicate colours, as an ingredient in plate-gla , in the manufacture of beet sugar, . It is not used in medicine. It is extremely poisonous.