Why is extracting barium expensive

The method used to extract a metal from its ore depends upon the stability of its compound in the ore, which in turn depends upon the reactivity of the metal:. So, the method of extraction of a metal from its ore depends on the metal's position in the reactivity series. The table displays some metals in decreasing order of reactivity and the methods used to extract them.

We can see from the table that reactive metals, such as aluminium, are extracted by electrolysis , while a less reactive metal, such as iron, may be extracted by reduction with carbon. Because gold it is so unreactive, it is found as the native metal and not as a compound. It does not need to be chemically separated.

However , chemical reactions may be needed to remove other elements that might contaminate the metal. This accounts for barium's high level of reactivity especially with electronegative elements like oxygen. Elemental barium does not have many practical uses, again due to its high level of reactivity. However, its strong attraction to oxygen makes it useful as a "getter" to remove the last traces of air in vacuum tubes.

Pure barium can also be combined with other metals to form alloys that are used to make machine elements such as bearings or spark plugs in internal combustion engines. Because barium has a loose hold on its electrons, its alloys emit electrons easily when heated and improve the efficiency of the spark plugs, according to Krebs. Compounds containing barium have a variety of commercial uses. Barium sulfate, or barite, is used in lithopone a brightening pigment in printer paper and paint , oil well drilling fluids, glassmaking and creating rubber.

Barium carbonate is used as a rat poison, and barium nitrate and barium chlorate produce green colors in fireworks.

The average adult contains about 22 mg of barium because it is present in foods such as carrots, onions , lettuce, beans, and cereal grains. Barium levels in your teeth can actually help scientists determine when babies transition from breast-feeding to eating solid foods.

These low levels of barium serve no biological role and are not harmful. Barium can cause vomiting, colic, diarrhea, tremors and paralysis. There have been a handful of murders with barium compounds, including a murder of a man in Mansfield, Texas, by his year-old daughter, Marie Robards , who stole barium acetate from her high school chemistry laboratory.

Several patients were also accidentally killed by barium when soluble barium carbonate rather than insoluble barium sulfate was mistakenly used during a gastroenterological GI diagnostic test called a barium enema. Doctors perform barium enemas in order to visualize and diagnose abnormalities of the large intestine and rectum, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. During the procedure, barium sulfate is instilled via the rectum to coat the inner walls of the large intestine.

Air is typically administered next to make sure the barium coating fills all surface abnormalities. Then, X-rays are used to produce an image of the lower GI tract. Barium sulfate absorbs X-rays and appears white on the X-ray film, in contrast to the air and surrounding tissue that appear black.

Analysis of the X-ray image from the barium enema enables physicians to diagnose disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, polyps, cancer, and irritable bowel syndrome.