Barite

Barite is a common mineral that can be found in the United States in considerable amounts and can often times be found in the Middle West. In the western states it is in many occasions associated with ores of copper, silver and lead. Barite is often times crystalline in form and can also be found in masses. This mineral can additionally be found in a variety of colors such as in blue, brown, yellow, red and in hues of the already mentioned colors. In most cases the color does not concern the person that is going to use it commercially, however in the case of rock collectors, different values are placed on them depending their color. The luster of barite is glassy; it has a hardness of 3 to 3.5, and a specific gravity of 4.2 to 4.6. Barite is used as an additive in mud when drilling for oil, in paints, enamels, and plastics, it is also used in the paper and rubber industries, as well as in radiography as a screen for intense radiation mixed with cement mortar, and to make costly white pigment. It has also been established as a fine material for brake pads and clutches in vehicles.