Barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4) is a common, naturally occurring mineral, generally white or colorless, by exception orange or reddish like in this exa

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Barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4) is a common, naturally occurring mineral, generally white or colorless, by exception orange or reddish like in this example. Barite is used as such in the oil, paper and rubber industries and is the principal ore for the element barium. It is here co-precipitated with Cerusite (lead carbonate PbCO3, also spelled Cerussite) an orthorhombic mineral, also known as white lead ore. crystals are colorless or white with greyish tints and often form reticulated networks with 60-degree angles (as seen here). Cerusite occurs in the oxidation zones of lead deposits and is a minor lead ore. Sample from Mibladen, Morocco, actual width 70 mm

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Photo credit: © DIRK WIERSMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: barite, barium, carbonate, cerusite, cerussite, colorless, crystal, crystalline, lead, mibladen, mineral, ore, orthorhombic, sulfate