Barium oxalate
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Barium oxalate (BaC2O4), a barium salt of oxalic acid, is a white odorless powder that is sometimes used as a green
pyrotechnic colorant A pyrotechnic colorant is a chemical compound which causes a flame to burn with a particular color. These are used to create the colors in pyrotechnic compositions like fireworks and colored fires. The color-producing species are usually creat ...
generally in specialized
pyrotechnic composition A pyrotechnic composition is a substance or mixture of substances designed to produce an effect by heat, light, sound, gas/smoke or a combination of these, as a result of non-detonative self-sustaining exothermic chemical reactions. Pyrotechnic s ...
s containing
magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...
metal powder. Flame color is rich and vivid without additional chlorine donors. Such compositions burn rate is satisfied without commonly used oxidizers as nitrates, chlorates and perchlorates.


Properties

Though largely stable, barium oxalate can be reactive with strong acids. A mild skin irritant, the substance is considered toxic when ingested, causing nausea, vomiting,
kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
, and injury to the gastrointestinal tract. It is different from most pyrotechnic colorants in that it is a reducing agent and not an oxidizing agent. It is extremely insoluble in water and converts to the oxide form when heated.


Preparation

The raw materials that are required to prepare barium oxalate are oxalic acid and
barium hydroxide Barium hydroxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Ba(OH)2. The monohydrate (''x'' = 1), known as baryta or baryta-water, is one of the principal compounds of barium. This white granular monohydrate is the usual commercial form. ...
(or its octahydrate). It can also be prepared by using an oxalic acid solution and a
barium chloride Barium chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula Ba Cl2. It is one of the most common water-soluble salts of barium. Like most other water-soluble barium salts, it is white, highly toxic, and imparts a yellow-green coloration to a flame. ...
solution, with the reaction as follows: :BaCl2 + H2C2O4 → BaC2O4↓ + 2 HCl


References


rec.pyrotechnics FAQ

MSDS




{{Oxalates Barium compounds Oxalates Pyrotechnic colorants Inorganic compounds