Barite water

Baryta water is the common name for a barium hydroxide solution that is used for the chemical detection of carbon dioxide . As a base, saturated barite water is strongly alkaline.

If relatively poorly soluble barium hydroxide is suspended in water and the suspension is filtered , barium water is obtained as a clear solution.

If barite water is left unsealed for a few minutes, a white solid, barium carbonate , forms on the surface through reaction with carbon dioxide from the air.

${\displaystyle \mathrm {Ba(OH)_{2}(aq)+CO_{2}(g)\longrightarrow BaCO_{3}(s)+H_{2}O(l)} }$

Barium hydroxide and carbon dioxide react in an aqueous solution to form barium carbonate and water

Even low concentrations of carbon dioxide cause this reaction, so that barite water is an even more sensitive detection reagent for carbon dioxide than lime water .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Brockhaus ABC Chemie , VEB FA Brockhaus Verlag Leipzig 1965, pp. 156–157.