Image: Halliburton. Downhole camera technology puts eyes underground, enhancing a company's understanding of what is going on within the furthest depths of production and helping operators make important decisions that benefit from the all too valuable sense of sight.
Barium was discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy at 1808 in England. Origin of name: from the Greek word barys meaning heavy Baryta (barium oxide, BaO) was distinguished from lime (calcium oxide, CaO) by Scheele in 1774.
In its elemental form, barium is a soft, silvery-gray metal. Industrial applications for barium include acting as a getterer, or unwanted gas remover, for vacuum tubes, and as an additive to steel and cast iron. Barium is also alloyed with silicon and aluminum as load-bearing alloys.