How important is barite, which is known as a strategic mineral?

Barite, as a non-metallic mineral with barium sulfate (BaSO₄) as its main component, is widely regarded as a strategic mineral due to its unique properties, wide applications and significant impact on national economy and national defense security.

The characteristics of barite provide a solid foundation for its application in many fields. It has stable thermodynamic and chemical properties, is insoluble in water and hydrochloric acid, is non-toxic, non-magnetic, and easily absorbs X-rays and gamma rays. These characteristics make barite play an indispensable role in the fields of petroleum, chemical industry, filler, medicine and military. Among them, 80% to 90% of barite is used as a weighting agent for oil and gas drilling mud, which effectively increases the specific gravity of the mud and ensures the safety and efficiency of drilling operations.

In the new energy industry, barite also plays an important role. Barium sulfate can enhance the activity of negative electrode plates in battery production, prevent plate hardening, and thus extend the service life of batteries. In addition, barite can also be used as a new energy mineral to prepare high-performance composite materials. For example, modified barite has good compatibility with polymer materials and can be evenly dispersed in the matrix material, reducing material costs and improving performance.

The application of barite in radiation protection is also remarkable. Since barium ions have a high dielectric constant or magnetization intensity, barite has a strong magnetic loss effect on electromagnetic radiation. At present, barite has been widely used in the fields of concrete materials in the construction industry, additives in medical protective clothing, and coatings for electronic signal shielding materials. With the continuous development of new functional devices and new materials, the application prospects of barite in radiation protection materials will be broader, such as radiation-proof rubber pads, radiation-proof seals, radiation-proof glass, etc., which will provide strong support for protecting humans from hazards such as nuclear radiation leakage.

In the field of fine chemicals, barite has also shown great potential. Improving the fineness and whiteness of barium sulfate, developing high-purity barium salts and barium sulfate, and using physical and chemical methods to increase the added value of barite are the goals to be pursued in the future. These high value-added products will further enhance the application value of barite in various fields and inject new vitality into the country's economic development.

From a global perspective, the distribution of barite resources is uneven. As a country with abundant barite resources, my country has rich barite reserves and occupies an important position in the global market. In 2020, the global barite production was 7.5 million tons, of which China's production was 2.5 million tons, accounting for 33% of the global total production, ranking first in the world. This resource advantage provides a strong guarantee for my country's development in the field of barite.

However, we should also see that with the rapid development of strategic emerging industries such as new generation information technology and high-end equipment manufacturing, my country's demand for strategic minerals will continue to remain high. Therefore, strengthening the protection and rational development and utilization of strategic minerals such as barite, and improving the security supply capacity and development and utilization level of resources are of great significance to ensuring national economic security, national defense security and the development needs of strategic emerging industries.

Barite is known as a strategic mineral because of its unique properties, wide application areas, and significant impact on the national economy and national defense security. In the future, we should continue to strengthen the protection and rational development and utilization of barite resources, promote its application and development in more fields, and contribute more to the country's economic prosperity and national defense security.