{
  "spore": "profile",
  "id": "barite-heavyweight-concrete",
  "spore_version": "0.2",
  "family": "heavyweight-concrete",
  "name": "Barite heavyweight shielding concrete",
  "abbreviation": "Barite concrete",
  "role": "gamma and X-ray shield",
  "category": "shielding",
  "type": "spot-shields",
  "summary": "Barite concrete is Portland-cement concrete in which barite (BaSO4) replaces the sand and limestone as the aggregate. In a 2024 laboratory study, barite concrete had a density of 3.07 to 3.55 g/cm3, against 2.13 to 2.39 g/cm3 for ordinary concrete made in the same study (Ahmad et al., Scientific Reports). A review table gives a half-value layer of 5.6 cm for barite concrete against 8.4 cm for ordinary concrete, and the same review reports about 35% better shielding. The trade-off is compressive strength: barite concrete was weaker than ordinary concrete in the same 2024 study.\n",
  "best_for": "Thick, fixed gamma and X-ray shielding walls where density matters more than compressive strength (the 2024 study suggests non-structural shielding walls)",
  "weakest_at": "Compressive strength and abrasion resistance compared with ordinary concrete, and no long-term radiation durability data in the sources read",
  "identity": {
    "formula": "BaSO4",
    "cas": "7727-43-7",
    "designations": [],
    "source": "wiki-baryte",
    "where": "Lead paragraph ('a mineral consisting of barium sulfate') and infobox formula; the CAS number 7727-43-7 is in the Names and Identifiers section of PubChem CID 24414 (pubchem-barium-sulfate)"
  },
  "tags": {
    "environments": [],
    "stresses": [
      "total-radiation-dose"
    ],
    "applications": [
      "radiation-shielding",
      "structures"
    ]
  },
  "properties": [
    {
      "benchmark": "density",
      "label": "Density of the barite mineral",
      "value": 4.48,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "g/cm3",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "material": "barite mineral (BaSO4)",
        "basis": "value the paper gives for barite, with refs 27 and 41 cited"
      },
      "method": "Value stated in the text of an open-access paper",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Results, Density of concrete section (text: 'a heavy mineral with a density of 4.48 g/cm3')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "density",
      "label": "Density of the barite mineral (mineral data page)",
      "value": 4.48,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "gm/cc",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "material": "barite mineral",
        "basis": "Density field of the physical properties table"
      },
      "method": "Value printed on a mineral data page",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "webmineral-barite",
      "where": "Physical Properties of Barite: Density field; note 'Specific Gravity of Barite =4.48 gm/cc'",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Webmineral: Barite mineral data",
        "id": "webmineral.com, barite data page (accessed 2026)",
        "url": "https://webmineral.com/data/Barite.shtml",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "database",
        "license": "web page (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "density",
      "label": "Density of barite concrete",
      "value": 3.07,
      "value_high": 3.55,
      "bound": "range",
      "unit": "g/cm3",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "barite concrete, grades M15 to M45, tested at 28 days of curing",
        "test": "mass divided by volume of the cured specimen"
      },
      "method": "Range stated in the text of the paper, which points to its Table 4",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Density of concrete section, paragraph after Table 4",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "density",
      "label": "Density of ordinary concrete (same study)",
      "value": 2.13,
      "value_high": 2.39,
      "bound": "range",
      "unit": "g/cm3",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "ordinary concrete with sand fine aggregate and limestone coarse aggregate, grades M15 to M45",
        "test": "28-day curing, mass over volume"
      },
      "method": "Range stated in the text of the paper, which points to its Table 4",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Density of concrete section, paragraph before the barite result",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "density_increase_over_ordinary_concrete",
      "label": "Density increase of barite concrete over ordinary concrete",
      "value": 45,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "%",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "the paper's own comparison of barite concrete with ordinary concrete, citing ref 41"
      },
      "method": "Stated in the text as approximately 45%",
      "status": "ground",
      "note": "Printed as \"approximately 45%\".",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Density of concrete section, paragraph on barite density",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "compressive_strength",
      "label": "Compressive strength of barite concrete",
      "value": 18.15,
      "value_high": 39.71,
      "bound": "range",
      "unit": "MPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "barite concrete, grades M15 to M45 at 28 days",
        "test": "compression test on the cured specimen"
      },
      "method": "Range stated in the text of the paper",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Compression strength section, paragraph 1",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "compressive_strength",
      "label": "Compressive strength of ordinary concrete (same study)",
      "value": 20.24,
      "value_high": 44.44,
      "bound": "range",
      "unit": "MPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "ordinary concrete, grades M15 to M45 at 28 days",
        "test": "compression test on the cured specimen"
      },
      "method": "Range stated in the text of the paper",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Compression strength section, paragraph 1",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "linear_attenuation_coefficient",
      "label": "Linear attenuation coefficient of ordinary concrete (same study)",
      "value": 0.172,
      "value_high": 0.195,
      "bound": "range",
      "unit": "cm-1",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "ordinary concrete, grades M15 to M45",
        "sources": "cobalt-60 and caesium-137 gamma sources"
      },
      "method": "Range stated in the abstract of the paper",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Abstract, Results sentence on ordinary concrete",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
        "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
        "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
        "year": 2024,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "half_value_layer",
      "label": "Half-value layer of barite concrete",
      "value": 5.6,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "cm",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "radiation": "Cs-137 and Co-60 gamma rays, 0.662 to 1.25 MeV",
        "form": "barite replacing coarse aggregate, as the review's table describes it"
      },
      "method": "Value in a summary table of a systematic review, taken from the study it cites (Ahmad et al. 2024)",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "subaar2026",
      "where": "Table 1, row Ahmad et al. (2024), HVL column ('HVL: 5.6 cm (barite)')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Radiation Shielding Performance of Different Concrete Materials: A Systematic Review",
        "id": "arXiv:2601.10336",
        "url": "https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10336",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "half_value_layer",
      "label": "Half-value layer of ordinary concrete (same table row)",
      "value": 8.4,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "cm",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "radiation": "Cs-137 and Co-60 gamma rays, 0.662 to 1.25 MeV",
        "form": "ordinary concrete, the comparison in the same row"
      },
      "method": "Value in a summary table of a systematic review, taken from the study it cites (Ahmad et al. 2024)",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "subaar2026",
      "where": "Table 1, row Ahmad et al. (2024), HVL column ('8.4 cm (ordinary)')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Radiation Shielding Performance of Different Concrete Materials: A Systematic Review",
        "id": "arXiv:2601.10336",
        "url": "https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10336",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "attenuation_improvement_over_normal_concrete",
      "label": "Shielding improvement of barite concrete over normal concrete",
      "value": 35,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "%",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "comparison": "barite concrete against normal concrete, gamma sources",
        "study": "Ahmad et al. 2024"
      },
      "method": "Value in the Key Findings column of a systematic review's table",
      "status": "ground",
      "note": "Printed as \"~35%\" (approximate).",
      "source": "subaar2026",
      "where": "Table 1, row Ahmad et al. (2024), Key Findings column",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Radiation Shielding Performance of Different Concrete Materials: A Systematic Review",
        "id": "arXiv:2601.10336",
        "url": "https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10336",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "attenuation_improvement_over_normal_concrete",
      "label": "Attenuation gain of barite concrete over ordinary concrete (review statement)",
      "value": 30,
      "value_high": 40,
      "bound": "range",
      "unit": "%",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "energy": "middle- to high-energy gamma rays",
        "comparison": "ordinary concrete"
      },
      "method": "Statement in the review's introduction; the sentence gives no primary citation",
      "status": "ground",
      "note": "Printed as \"up to 30-40% higher attenuation\". The review does not cite a study for this sentence.",
      "source": "subaar2026",
      "where": "Section 1 (Introduction), paragraph beginning 'Recent research efforts'",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Radiation Shielding Performance of Different Concrete Materials: A Systematic Review",
        "id": "arXiv:2601.10336",
        "url": "https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10336",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "linear_attenuation_increase",
      "label": "Increase in linear attenuation coefficient with barite as fine aggregate",
      "value": 28.4,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "%",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "material": "concrete cylinders with barite as fine aggregate",
        "source": "cobalt-60 gamma source",
        "water_to_cement_ratio": "0.30 to 0.45"
      },
      "method": "Stated in the abstract of the paper",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2019-ku",
      "where": "Abstract, Results sentence ('28.4% increase in linear attenuation coefficient')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Improvement of concrete shielding to nuclear radiations using barite mineral as fine aggregate",
        "id": "Journal of Engineering Research, Vol 7 No 4 (2019), Civil Engineering",
        "url": "https://journals.ku.edu.kw/jer/index.php/JER/article/view/5817",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "journal article page (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "compressive_strength_change",
      "label": "Maximum decrease in compressive strength with barite as fine aggregate",
      "value": 11.75,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "%",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "material": "concrete cylinders with barite as fine aggregate",
        "water_to_cement_ratio": "0.30 to 0.45"
      },
      "method": "Stated in the abstract of the paper as a maximum",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2019-ku",
      "where": "Abstract, Results sentence ('by a maximum of 11.75% and 19.75%')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Improvement of concrete shielding to nuclear radiations using barite mineral as fine aggregate",
        "id": "Journal of Engineering Research, Vol 7 No 4 (2019), Civil Engineering",
        "url": "https://journals.ku.edu.kw/jer/index.php/JER/article/view/5817",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "journal article page (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "tensile_strength_change",
      "label": "Maximum decrease in tensile strength with barite as fine aggregate",
      "value": 19.75,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "%",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "material": "concrete cylinders with barite as fine aggregate",
        "water_to_cement_ratio": "0.30 to 0.45"
      },
      "method": "Stated in the abstract of the paper as a maximum",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2019-ku",
      "where": "Abstract, Results sentence ('by a maximum of 11.75% and 19.75%')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Improvement of concrete shielding to nuclear radiations using barite mineral as fine aggregate",
        "id": "Journal of Engineering Research, Vol 7 No 4 (2019), Civil Engineering",
        "url": "https://journals.ku.edu.kw/jer/index.php/JER/article/view/5817",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "journal article page (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "optimum_water_cement_ratio",
      "label": "Recommended water-to-cement ratio for least loss of mechanical strength",
      "value": 0.45,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "-",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "material": "barite mineral infused concrete",
        "basis": "least reduction in mechanical properties with acceptable shielding, per the authors"
      },
      "method": "Recommendation stated in the abstract of the paper",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ahmad2019-ku",
      "where": "Abstract, final sentence ('the optimum water-to-cement ratio ... is 0.45')",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Improvement of concrete shielding to nuclear radiations using barite mineral as fine aggregate",
        "id": "Journal of Engineering Research, Vol 7 No 4 (2019), Civil Engineering",
        "url": "https://journals.ku.edu.kw/jer/index.php/JER/article/view/5817",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "journal article page (licence not read in this run)"
      }
    }
  ],
  "corrosion": [
    {
      "environment": "Neutron and gamma irradiation (research-reactor thermal column; laboratory gamma sources)",
      "headline": "Irradiation changed the crystal structure of barite concrete, but the authors found the change did not significantly affect its shielding.",
      "effect": "The authors report that neutron irradiation caused microscopic and crystallite changes, including crystallite-size expansion, and that these did not significantly impact the concrete's core shielding function. The paper also reports that barite shows higher expansion volumes than ordinary aggregates under irradiation, which it attributes to barite's higher density.",
      "rating": "low",
      "conditions": {
        "irradiation": "neutron irradiation in the thermal column of a research reactor, followed by X-ray diffraction",
        "measurement": "crystallite size and lattice spacing before and after irradiation"
      },
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Results, XRD analysis sections; Conclusion"
    },
    {
      "environment": "Abrasion of the barite aggregate during mixing and service",
      "headline": "Barite is more sensitive to abrasion than limestone, and the paper says this can lower strength.",
      "effect": "The 2024 paper states that barite is susceptible to brittleness and easy fracture under high compression, and that substituting barite for sand and gravel has adverse effects on mechanical strength, primarily because barite is more sensitive to abrasion than ordinary limestone aggregates. The paper cites earlier work for this claim and does not test abrasion itself.",
      "rating": "moderate",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "statement in the paper, citing earlier work; abrasion not measured in this study"
      },
      "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
      "where": "Compression strength discussion, paragraphs 2 and 3"
    },
    {
      "environment": "Long-term radiation exposure, microcracking and leaching",
      "headline": "Long-term durability of barite concrete under continuous radiation is not established in the reviewed studies.",
      "effect": "The review lists microcracking, leaching and mechanical degradation under continuous radiation as open research questions, and notes that most reviewed studies were run at laboratory scale.",
      "rating": "unknown",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "the review's discussion of research needs; no long-term test data are cited for barite concrete"
      },
      "source": "subaar2026",
      "where": "Section 4 (Discussion), paragraph on limitations, and Section 5 (Conclusion)"
    }
  ],
  "risks": {
    "hazards": [
      {
        "text": "PubChem summarises the barium sulfate record as: 'This chemical does not meet GHS hazard criteria for 91% (1648 of 1811) of all reports.'",
        "ghs": [],
        "source": "pubchem-barium-sulfate",
        "where": "Safety and Hazards, Hazards Identification, GHS Classification (CID 24414), first note"
      },
      {
        "text": "PubChem also lists a second ECHA notification summary, with the hazard 'H302 (16.6%): Harmful if swallowed' and the signal word Warning.",
        "ghs": [
          "H302"
        ],
        "source": "pubchem-barium-sulfate",
        "where": "Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification, second ECHA notification summary"
      },
      {
        "text": "PubChem lists 'H372: Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure' with the signal word Danger from a separate notification. No share of reports is printed for that entry.",
        "ghs": [
          "H372"
        ],
        "source": "pubchem-barium-sulfate",
        "where": "Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification, third notification entry"
      }
    ],
    "failure_risks": [
      {
        "mode": "Lower compressive and tensile strength when barite replaces the fine aggregate",
        "trigger": "Barite used as the fine aggregate in the mix",
        "consequence": "In the 2019 study, compressive strength fell by a maximum of 11.75% and tensile strength by a maximum of 19.75%.",
        "severity": "moderate",
        "source": "ahmad2019-ku",
        "where": "Abstract, Results sentence"
      },
      {
        "mode": "Brittle failure of the heavy aggregate under high compression",
        "trigger": "High compressive load on barite concrete",
        "consequence": "The 2024 paper describes barite as susceptible to brittleness and easy fracture under high compression, and it suggests barite concrete for non-structural shielding walls rather than load-bearing parts.",
        "severity": "low",
        "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
        "where": "Compression strength discussion, paragraph 2"
      }
    ],
    "side_effects": [],
    "handling": [
      {
        "text": "The 2024 study shortened the mixing time for barite concrete to prevent segregation of the dense aggregate.",
        "source": "ahmad2024-sci",
        "where": "Fabrication of ordinary and barite concrete, paragraph 2"
      },
      {
        "text": "The sources read here give no barite powder safety data sheet and no dust exposure limit. Check the supplier's safety data sheet before handling bulk barite powder.",
        "source": "pubchem-barium-sulfate",
        "where": "Not found in this run; PubChem record read for the hazard entries above"
      }
    ],
    "mitigations": [
      {
        "text": "Use a water-to-cement ratio of 0.45 to limit the loss of mechanical strength, as the 2019 study recommends.",
        "source": "ahmad2019-ku",
        "where": "Abstract, final sentence"
      }
    ]
  },
  "uses": [
    {
      "application": "radiation-shielding",
      "device": "Shielding around X-ray units, nuclear power plants and university nuclear research facilities",
      "example": "The USGS says barite blocks X-ray and gamma-ray emissions well, so it is used as aggregate in high-density concrete shielding for X-ray units in hospitals, nuclear power plants and university nuclear research facilities.",
      "source": "usgs-mcs2026-barite",
      "where": "Domestic Production and Use, paragraph 2"
    },
    {
      "application": "radiation-shielding",
      "device": "Medical radiation rooms, nuclear containment and accelerator facilities",
      "example": "The review says barite and magnetite concretes remain among the most reliable materials for medical radiation rooms, nuclear containment structures and accelerator facilities where gamma-ray attenuation is needed.",
      "source": "subaar2026",
      "where": "Section 4 (Discussion), paragraph 1"
    }
  ],
  "supply": [
    {
      "subject": "Barite (barium sulfate mineral)",
      "producers": [
        {
          "country": "India",
          "share_percent": 34.5,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "China",
          "share_percent": 25.3,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "Morocco",
          "share_percent": 11.5,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "Kazakhstan",
          "share_percent": 8,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "Mexico",
          "share_percent": 3.4,
          "year": 2025
        }
      ],
      "critical_lists": [
        {
          "list": "EU critical raw materials list (Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, as shown on the European Commission page, which lists Baryte)",
          "listed": true
        }
      ],
      "recycling": "USGS barite chapter: 'Recycling: None.'",
      "substitutes": [
        "USGS: there are no large-scale alternatives to barite in oil- and gas-drilling fluids; the chapter does not discuss concrete shielding."
      ],
      "source": "usgs-mcs2026-barite",
      "where": "World Mine Production and Reserves table, 2025e (world total 8,700 thousand t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom against that total, which includes Other countries); Recycling; Substitutes"
    }
  ],
  "media": [],
  "documents": [
    {
      "title": "Radiation Shielding Performance of Different Concrete Materials: A Systematic Review (arXiv 2601.10336, open access)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10336",
      "year": 2026
    },
    {
      "title": "Improvement of concrete shielding to nuclear radiations using barite mineral as fine aggregate (Journal of Engineering Research, Vol 7 No 4)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://journals.ku.edu.kw/jer/index.php/JER/article/view/5817",
      "year": 2019
    },
    {
      "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
      "year": 2024
    },
    {
      "title": "Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Barite",
      "type": "report",
      "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-barite.pdf",
      "year": 2026
    },
    {
      "title": "PubChem: Barium Sulfate (CID 24414), GHS classification and CAS",
      "type": "database",
      "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Barium-sulfate",
      "year": 2026
    },
    {
      "title": "Webmineral: Barite mineral data",
      "type": "database",
      "url": "https://webmineral.com/data/Barite.shtml",
      "year": 2026
    }
  ],
  "gaps": [
    "No flight, vacuum, lunar or Mars test of barite concrete was found in the sources read in this run. The review mentions space missions only in general terms.",
    "Linear attenuation coefficients and half-value layers for the barite concrete grades in the 2024 study are in tables that are not in the text version of the paper, so they are not recorded. Only the review's table values (5.6 cm and 8.4 cm) are used.",
    "The review's text gives a higher linear attenuation coefficient for barite concrete from Azeez et al. (2019) than its own table gives for the same study. The two disagree, so neither is recorded.",
    "The review's table describes the barite in the Ahmad et al. (2024) study as replacing the coarse aggregate, while the 2024 paper says barite is used as both coarse and fine aggregate. Both are noted; the mix is not settled.",
    "The USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals page refused access and could not be read, so barite's status on the USGS list is not recorded.",
    "USGS import shares for the recent import years (India, China, Morocco, Mexico) are printed in the barite chapter but are not recorded in supply, because the supply schema takes one year per country.",
    "Corrosion and chemical durability of barite aggregate in cement (leaching, sulfate attack, humidity) were not found in the sources read in this run.",
    "No barite powder safety data sheet was read. Hazard entries rest on the PubChem record for barium sulfate.",
    "Compressive strength and half-value layer are not canonical property names in spores/property-canon.yaml; short snake_case names are used.",
    "No designations (UNS, EN, ASTM or trade codes) are recorded: none was printed in the sources read for this material.",
    "Mohs hardness of barite is printed on the webmineral page with a calcite and copper-penny note, but no Mohs unit is printed, so it is not recorded.",
    "No profile type fits barite concrete in src/data/taxonomy.ts under the shielding category, so the type field is left out."
  ],
  "story": {
    "why": "Barite concrete is a heavy version of ordinary Portland-cement concrete. The review describes barite, a barium sulfate mineral, as a dense aggregate for gamma and X-ray shielding. Denser concrete attenuates radiation better, so barite concrete is chosen where a thick, fixed wall must block gamma and X-rays. No flight or lunar test of barite concrete was found in the sources read in this run.",
    "uses": [
      {
        "where": "Hospitals, nuclear power plants and research facilities",
        "line": "The USGS says barite blocks X-ray and gamma-ray emissions well, so it is used as aggregate in high-density concrete around X-ray units in hospitals, nuclear power plants and university nuclear research facilities."
      },
      {
        "where": "Medical rooms and accelerator facilities",
        "line": "The review calls barite and magnetite concretes among the most reliable materials for medical radiation rooms, nuclear containment and accelerator facilities where gamma attenuation matters."
      }
    ],
    "can_do": [
      {
        "label": "Shorter gamma path",
        "line": "the review's table gives a half-value layer of 5.6 cm for barite concrete against 8.4 cm for ordinary concrete for the same gamma sources.",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "More attenuation per unit thickness",
        "line": "the review says barite concrete can give 30 to 40% more attenuation than ordinary concrete for middle- to high-energy gamma rays.",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "Denser than ordinary concrete",
        "line": "3.07 to 3.55 g/cm3 against 2.13 to 2.39 g/cm3 in the same 2024 study.",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "Structural walls at moderate strength",
        "line": "the 2024 study's barite concrete reached 18.15 to 39.71 MPa in compression.",
        "scope": "material"
      }
    ],
    "compare": "Barite concrete is denser than ordinary concrete made with sand and limestone, and it attenuates gamma rays better. In the 2024 study, barite concrete had a density of 3.07 to 3.55 g/cm3 against 2.13 to 2.39 g/cm3 for ordinary concrete, and the review's table gives a half-value layer of 5.6 cm for barite concrete against 8.4 cm for ordinary concrete. Barite concrete is weaker in compression than ordinary concrete in the same study, reaching 18.15 to 39.71 MPa against 20.24 to 44.44 MPa. Pure barite is denser still, at 4.48 g/cm3 for the mineral.",
    "compare_rows": [
      {
        "label": "Density",
        "benchmark": "density",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "Compressive strength",
        "benchmark": "compressive_strength",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "Half-value layer",
        "benchmark": "half_value_layer",
        "scope": "material"
      }
    ],
    "handling": [
      "Shorten the mixing time for barite concrete to prevent the dense aggregate from separating, as the 2024 study did.",
      "Check the supplier's safety data sheet before handling bulk barite powder, since none was read here.",
      "Keep the mix at a water-to-cement ratio of 0.45, as the 2019 study recommends, to limit strength loss."
    ],
    "good_for": [
      "Thick, fixed gamma and X-ray walls in hospitals, nuclear plants and research facilities, where the review describes barite concrete as reliable.",
      "Non-structural shielding walls, which the 2024 study suggests as the main role for barite concrete."
    ],
    "watch_out": [
      "Lower compressive strength than ordinary concrete: 18.15 to 39.71 MPa against 20.24 to 44.44 MPa in the 2024 study.",
      "Brittle and abrasion-sensitive aggregate, according to the 2024 paper, which cites earlier work for this.",
      "No long-term durability data under continuous radiation, according to the review.",
      "Attenuation figures come from laboratory specimens, not from field walls."
    ],
    "verdict": "Barite concrete is a dense, practical gamma shield for fixed walls. Its strength is lower than ordinary concrete, and no space test was found.",
    "recipe": {
      "line": "Barite is barium sulfate (BaSO₄), a dense mineral. In barite concrete it replaces the sand and limestone as the aggregate. The mix is Portland cement and water, mixed in a concrete mixer and cured in water, then air-dried.",
      "parts": [
        {
          "name": "Barium",
          "symbol": "Ba",
          "role": "The heavy element that gives barite its high density and its ability to absorb gamma and X-rays."
        },
        {
          "name": "Sulfur",
          "symbol": "S",
          "role": "Part of the sulfate group that binds the barium into a dense, stable mineral."
        },
        {
          "name": "Oxygen",
          "symbol": "O",
          "role": "Four oxygen atoms per formula unit complete the sulfate group."
        }
      ]
    },
    "risk_groups": [
      {
        "title": "For people",
        "lead": "PubChem's summary of barium sulfate says most company reports do not meet GHS hazard criteria, but other notifications list hazard statements.",
        "points": [
          {
            "label": "The mineral",
            "line": "PubChem records the barium sulfate record as 'does not meet GHS hazard criteria for 91% (1648 of 1811) of all reports'."
          },
          {
            "label": "Harmful if swallowed",
            "line": "One ECHA notification summary lists 'H302 (16.6%): Harmful if swallowed' with the signal word Warning."
          },
          {
            "label": "Repeated exposure",
            "line": "A separate notification lists H372, causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure, under the signal word Danger."
          },
          {
            "label": "Dust",
            "line": "The sources read here give no barite powder safety data sheet and no dust limit. Check the supplier's data sheet before handling bulk powder."
          }
        ],
        "level": 0,
        "verdict": "Not classified hazardous in most PubChem reports"
      },
      {
        "title": "In service",
        "lead": "The concrete is set in place, so the main concerns are strength and ageing, not chemical exposure.",
        "points": [
          {
            "label": "Strength",
            "line": "In one study, barite used as the fine aggregate lowered compressive and tensile strength."
          },
          {
            "label": "Ageing",
            "line": "In a laboratory study with neutron irradiation, crystal structure changed, but the authors found no significant effect on the shielding function."
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "updated": "2026-11-01",
  "review": {
    "status": "draft",
    "method": "assistant",
    "checked_values": 16,
    "unreachable": 1,
    "caveats": 2,
    "note": "Written by an AI assistant on 2026-11-01 from eight sources read in this run. Values are copied as printed. The USGS 2025 critical-minerals page returned HTTP 403 and was not read."
  },
  "sources": {
    "subaar2026": {
      "title": "Radiation Shielding Performance of Different Concrete Materials: A Systematic Review",
      "id": "arXiv:2601.10336",
      "url": "https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10336",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "arXiv preprint (licence not read in this run)"
    },
    "ahmad2019-ku": {
      "title": "Improvement of concrete shielding to nuclear radiations using barite mineral as fine aggregate",
      "id": "Journal of Engineering Research, Vol 7 No 4 (2019), Civil Engineering",
      "url": "https://journals.ku.edu.kw/jer/index.php/JER/article/view/5817",
      "year": 2019,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "journal article page (licence not read in this run)"
    },
    "ahmad2024-sci": {
      "title": "Enhancing shielding efficiency of ordinary and barite concrete in radiation shielding utilizations",
      "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-024-76402-0 (Scientific Reports 14, 26029)",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76402-0",
      "year": 2024,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "open-access journal (licence not read in this run)"
    },
    "usgs-mcs2026-barite": {
      "title": "Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Barite",
      "id": "USGS MCS 2026, February 2026",
      "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-barite.pdf",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "report",
      "license": "public domain (USGS)"
    },
    "pubchem-barium-sulfate": {
      "title": "PubChem compound record, Barium Sulfate (CID 24414)",
      "id": "CID 24414; CAS 7727-43-7",
      "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Barium-sulfate",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "database",
      "license": "public domain (NCBI)"
    },
    "webmineral-barite": {
      "title": "Webmineral: Barite mineral data",
      "id": "webmineral.com, barite data page (accessed 2026)",
      "url": "https://webmineral.com/data/Barite.shtml",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "database",
      "license": "web page (licence not read in this run)"
    },
    "ec-crm": {
      "title": "Critical raw materials (European Commission, list under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252)",
      "id": "Regulation (EU) 2024/1252",
      "url": "https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en",
      "year": 2024,
      "kind": "web",
      "license": "European Commission web page"
    },
    "wiki-baryte": {
      "title": "Baryte (Wikipedia)",
      "id": "Wikipedia article 'Baryte' (accessed 2026)",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barite",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "web",
      "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0"
    }
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "url": "https://spacemushroom.com/profiles/barite-heavyweight-concrete/"
}