Barium chlorate acid, the formal precursor to all chlorate salts, through its reaction with dilute sulfuric acid, which results in a solution of chloric acid and insoluble barium sulfate precipitate: Both the chlorate and the acid should be prepared as dilute solutions before mixing, such that the chloric acid produced is dilute, as concentrated solutions of chloric acid (above 30%) are unstable and prone to decompose, sometimes explosively. Fireworks Barium chlorate, when burned with a fuel, produces a vibrant green light. Because it is an oxidizer, a chlorine donor, and contains a metal, this compound produces a green color that is unparalleled.
Barium sulfate from barite, which is often highly impure. Barite is processed by carbothermal reduction (heating with coke) to give barium sulfide: In contrast to barium sulfate, barium sulfide is soluble in water and readily converted to the oxide, carbonate, and halides. To produce highly pure barium sulfate, the sulfide or chloride is treated with sulfuric acid or sulfate salts: Barium sulfate produced in this way is often called "blanc fixe", which is French for "permanent white." Blanc fixe is the form of barium encountered in consumer products, such as paints. In the laboratory barium sulfate is generated by combining solutions of