Is my Barium Chloride bad? I tried a flame test with a lighter..?
but did not get the green color that I was expecting.
The chem supply store where I bought this is not very popular so this chemical probably sat on the shelf for a few years.
The chemical is a bit clumpy.
How else can I test this chemical?
BaCl2 2H2O
If the chemical supply store is reputable (although not very popular for whatever reasons) the chemistry of your hydrated barium chloride is unlikely to have changed, even if stored on the shelf for a hundred years. However, BaCl2 is hydroscopic, so it may have absorbed enough moisture to make it "a bit clumpy".
Be careful with this stuff. It is highly toxic by inhalation and ingestion. Gloves, mask, and apron should be the minimum. Wash your hands after handling and don't smoke during. Use a fume hood if working around others. Read the MSDS:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/b0372.htm
A good tool for the flame test could be one of those butane lighters that emit a roaring "jet" type flame, typically blue in color. Beware the breakdown products of barium chloride when heated in a flame.
Barium chloride reacts with sulphuric acid (H2SO4) or "battery acid" to form a white barium sulfate precipitate that is insoluable in water. This is not definitive, since a lot of chemical reactions form white precipitates that are insoluable in water. The only specific test I can think of is atomic absorption spectroscopy, which is sort of the inverse of the flame test, and requires special equipment not likely available to the average bear.
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