Barium oxalate (BaC₂O₄), a

barium Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is the fifth element in group 2 and is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal. Because of its high chemical reactivity, barium is never found in nature as a free element. Th ...

salt of

oxalic acid Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and formula . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name comes from the fact that early inve ...

, is a white odorless powder that is sometimes used as a green pyrotechnic colorant generally in specialized pyrotechnic compositions 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 (or its octahydrate). It can also be prepared by using an oxalic acid solution and a barium chloride solution, with the reaction as follows: :BaCl₂ + H₂C₂O₄ → BaC₂O₄↓ + 2 HCl

References

rec.pyrotechnics FAQ

MSDS

{{Oxalates Barium compounds Oxalates Pyrotechnic colorants Inorganic compounds