Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms used in barite mining, processing, testing and trade.
- API 13AThe American Petroleum Institute specification for drilling fluid materials, including drilling-grade barite.
- Barite (baryte)The natural mineral form of barium sulphate, BaSO4, and the main commercial source of barium.
- Barium sulphateThe chemical compound BaSO4. Found in nature as the mineral barite, and also produced chemically as blanc fixe.
- BeneficiationProcessing ore to remove impurities and increase the content of the valuable mineral.
- Blanc fixeSynthetic, precipitated barium sulphate, produced by chemical reaction rather than mined.
- CelestineStrontium sulphate, SrSO4, a mineral closely related to barite.
- CIELAB (L*a*b*)A colour space that describes colour with three values: lightness, red to green, and yellow to blue.
- d50 (median particle size)The particle size below which half of a powder, by volume, falls.
- d97 (top cut)The particle size below which 97% of a powder, by volume, falls.
- Filler (extender)A mineral powder added to paints, plastics and other products to add volume or improve properties.
- FlotationA separation method that uses air bubbles and chemical collectors to float selected minerals out of a slurry.
- HematiteAn iron oxide mineral, Fe2O3, used as a high-density weighting agent.
- HS code 2511.10The Harmonized System code for natural barium sulphate (barytes).
- JiggingA gravity separation method that sorts particles by density in a pulsating bed of water.
- Laser diffractionThe standard method for measuring the particle size distribution of fine powders.
- Magnetic separationRemoving magnetic impurities, such as iron-bearing minerals, from ore with a magnetic field.
- Mesh sizeThe number of openings per inch in a sieve. Higher mesh means a finer sieve.
- MicronizationGrinding a material into a fine powder measured in microns.
- Mud weightThe density of a drilling fluid, usually given in pounds per gallon (ppg), kg/m³ or specific gravity.
- Oil absorptionThe amount of oil a powder absorbs before it forms a paste, used to estimate binder demand in paint.
- Pigment volume concentration (PVC)The share of a dry paint film's volume taken up by pigments and fillers.
- Specific gravityThe density of a material compared with the density of water.
- Weighting agentA dense, finely ground solid added to drilling fluid to raise its density.
- Whiteness and brightnessMeasures of how white and bright a powder appears, used to grade fillers for paints and coatings.
- WitheriteA natural barium carbonate mineral, BaCO3.
- XRF (X-ray fluorescence)An analytical method that measures the elemental composition of a sample using X-rays.