Preparation of transparent BaSO4 nanodispersions by high-gravity reactive precipitation combined with surface modification for transparent X-ray shielding nanocomposite films

BaSO₄ nanoparticles as important functional materials have attracted considerable research interests, due to their X-rays barrier and absorption properties. However, most of BaSO₄ nanoparticles prepared by traditional technology are nanopowders with broad size distribution and poor dispersibility, which may greatly limit their applications. To the best of our knowledge, the synthesis of transparent BaSO₄ nanodispersions was rarely reported. Here, we firstly present a novel and efficient method to prepare transparent and stable BaSO₄ nanodispersions with a relatively small particle size around 10 to 17 nm using a precipitation method in a rotating packed bed (RPB), followed by a modification treatment using stearic acid. Compared with the BaSO₄ prepared in a traditional stirred tank, the product prepared using an RPB has much smaller particle size and narrower size distribution. More importantly, by using RPB, the reaction time can be significantly decreased from 20 min to 18 s. Furthermore, the transparent BaSO₄-polyvinyl butyral nanocomposite films with good X-ray shielding performance can be easily fabricated. We believe that the stable BaSO₄ nanodispersions may have a wide range of applications for transparent composite materials and coatings with X-ray shielding performance for future research.