Barium acetate is the barium salt of acetic acid, with the chemical formula . It is used in chemistry and manufacturing as a soluble source of barium and is toxic to humans.
Preparation
Barium acetate is generally produced by the reaction of acetic acid with barium carbonate:Barium acetate , hillakomem.com, retrieved 30 June 2009
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:
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 as well as a 2014 episode of the crime documentary series Redrum and an episode of Deadly Women.
All of which recount the 1993 murder of a man by his teenaged daughter (Marie Robards). Episodes about the Robards do not name the chemical.
References
Further reading
After husband's body was found burned, woman is suspected of poisoning another man