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Through Chemical formula, Oxygen and Fireworks
Structure
Barium peroxide consists of barium cations Ba2+ and peroxide anions O2−2. The solid is isomorphous to calcium carbide, CaC2.
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Preparation and use
Barium peroxide arises by the reversible reaction of O2 with barium oxide. The peroxide forms around 500 °C (932 °F) and oxygen is released above 820 °C (1,510 °F).
- 2 BaO + O2 ⇌ 2 BaO2
This reaction is the basis for the now-obsolete Brin process for separating oxygen from the atmosphere. Other oxides, e.g. Na2O and SrO, behave similarly.
In another obsolete application, barium peroxide was once used to produce hydrogen peroxide via its reaction with sulfuric acid:
- BaO2 + H2SO4 → H2O2 + BaSO4
The insoluble barium sulfate is filtered from the mixture.