Barium acetate

Preparation

Barium acetate is generally produced by the reaction of acetic acid with barium carbonate:

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The reaction is performed in solution and the barium acetate crystalizes out at temperatures above 41 °C. Between 25 and 40 °C, the monohydrate version crystalizes. Alternatively, barium sulfide can be used:

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Again, the solvent is evaporated off and the barium acetate crystallized.

Properties

Barium acetate is a white powder, which is highly soluble: at 0 °C, 55.8 g of barium acetate can be dissolved in 100 g of water.

Reactions

Barium acetate can be used in metathesis reactions.

When heated in air, barium acetate decomposes to barium carbonate.

Uses

Barium acetate is used as a mordant for printing textile fabrics, for drying paints and varnishes, and in lubricating oil. In chemistry, it is used in the preparation of other acetates, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis.

In popular culture

Barium acetate was featured in a 2001 episode of the television series Forensic Files, recounting the 1993 murder of a man by his teenaged daughter (Marie Robards). That episode and other crime documentaries about the Robards do not name the chemical.

Barium acetate was featured in a 2014 episode of the crime documentary series Redrum.

Barium acetate was named as the choice poison of a teen's murder of her father in an episode of Deadly Women.

References

References

1. [http://hazard.com/msds/mf/baker/baker/files/b0336.htm], JT Baker
2. "Barium acetate".
3. "Safety Data Sheet: Barium acetate".
4. [http://www.hillakomem.com/barium-acetate.html Barium acetate] {{webarchive. link. (June 28, 2009 , hillakomem.com, retrieved 30 June 2009)