Barium Sulfate Plastic - Description & Properties

Barium sulfate is a highly useful filler in the plastics industry. Barium sulfate plastics are ones that use barium sulfate as a filler, sometimes comprised of up to 70% barium sulfate. Barium sulfate is derived from barium, or barite which is found in the earth. Barium is used for:

• Making paint, tiles, rubber, glass, and bricks.
• To make drilling mud for oil and gas industries, which lubricates the drill and makes drilling rocks easier.
• Desiccating, or removing oxygen to dry things, like when it’s used in vacuum tubes and spark plug electrodes.
• The light source in fluorescent lamps, as impure barium sulfide will phosphoresce once it has been exposed to light.

In plastics as a filler, barium sulfate has many useful qualities. It’s mainly used to increase a plastic polymer’s density in vibrational mass damping. It increases both acid and alkali resistance, as well as increasing opacity in the polymer to which it is added.

Benefits of using barium sulfate as a filler in plastics

In products like automotive plastics, household appliances, air conditioning panels, and more, barium sulfate is used to increase the chemical resistance of plastic while also improving its appearance by making it glossier and more opaque. Not only does it do that, but it can also improve the cost of production and the quality of products.

Adding barium sulfate as a filler reduces costs as it is a relatively cheap material. It increases a plastic’s mold processability, scale stability, hardness, and rigidity, and it adds to the tensile and tortuous strength of plastic.

Plastic Service Centers | Barium sulfate filler and more!

A filler is a nice choice when it can reduce the cost of your production and not worsen the quality of your plastic products. But it’s even better when that filler is cheap and can improve your products in multiple ways. Barium sulfate checks both of those boxes. It has tons of benefits that make for a high-quality plastic polymer, and it lowers the costs of making those plastic polymers. If you need barium sulfate or other plastic fillers, Plastic Service Centers have you covered. We carry over 4 million pounds of inventory between our strategically placed warehouses. The placement of our warehouses enables us to quickly ship to you no matter where you are in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. Our knowledgeable sales staff can answer any questions you have and lead you to the product that will help to meet your goals. To learn more, give us a call at (586) 474-5313 or send in an online contact form today!