Barite

What is barite? Barite is barium sulfate (BaSO4) It is a member of the sulfate group of minerals. It is very heavy (specific gravity = 4.5) especially for a non-metallic mineral, insoluble and soft. It is often found with fluorite, galena, and sphalerite

Where is barite found? Barite is found in east and middle Tennessee. It is presently still being mined in McMinn County

When and how was barite deposited? Most barite is related to hydrothermal solutions depositing barite with a variety of gangue minerals as veins, especially in brecciated (highly fractured) limestone or dolostone. Because it is extremely insoluble, it is further concentrated in the residual soil when the rock surrounding it erodes. This is particularly true when it is in a soluble rock like limestone (as it frequently is). It is mainly deposited in Cambrian and Ordovician limestone (and Mississippian limestone in Fen tress County)
Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Pennsylvanian
Mississippian
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Proterozoic


Uses of Barite: The major use of barite is a function of its weight and its softness. In the oil industry, it is ground up, mixed with clay and used to cap oil wells which are in danger of exploding. Barite is also used as a filler in paint and glass, as well as a tracer in many different medical tests.

How were they collected and used? Barite is typically taken from open pit mines 60-80 feet deep, developed in the residual soil above the barite-bearing limestone or do lost one.
History of the use of barite in Tennessee Production began in the early 1900’s. TN rose to be a major national producer and in 1941 was second in the country. By 1981 cost of production had risen to the point that it was cheaper to import barite from abroad, (http://www.state.ar.us/agc/barite.htm) and domestic production was cut back, but in 2000 the Yates Construction Company was sill operating two barite mines in McMinn County

Impact of barite mining on the environment: Runoff from mined areas can pollute streams. While not toxic itself, barite is often found with lead, sulfur, or other toxic materials.