Capturing an amorphous BaSO4 intermediate precursor to barite†
Abstract
The work presented here investigates the early stages of barium sulfate crystallization from aqueous solutions. By monitoring free-barium activity during the crystallization, we identified a metastable BaSO4 phase that precedes barite formation. Ex situ investigations provide direct, unambiguous experimental evidence of an amorphous BaSO4 phase in an additive-free scenario.