Bibliographic analysis of scientific research on critical barite raw materials: Trends in the global barite industry

Abstract Barite (BaSO₄) is a strategically significant industrial mineral utilized in drilling fluids, high-density construction materials, radiation shielding, and advanced engineered applications. Its increasing relevance to energy industries, import-dependent supply chains, and specialized technologies has intensified both scientific and policy interest in barite as a critical raw material. Despite this, global barite research across geology, exploration, materials science, and industrial applications has not yet been systematically reviewed. This study examines 3,133 barite-related publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1990 to 2025 through bibliometric mapping and keyword co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer. The findings delineate major research domains, including sedimentary–diagenetic systems, hydrothermal and polymetallic mineralization, magmatic–rare earth element (REE)/carbonatite associations, sulfide-related ore systems, radiation-shielding materials, and remote sensing and GIS-based exploration. Over time, the focus of barite research has expanded from geoscience to a broader interdisciplinary field encompassing materials science, applied physics, engineering, and geospatial exploration. The analysis indicates that research on barite-based materials is increasingly performance-oriented, whereas remote sensing and GIS remain emerging yet underdeveloped tools for exploration. The review highlights key future priorities, such as integrating deposit geology, ore quality, beneficiation behavior, industrial specifications, geospatial targeting, and critical raw material assessment. These results provide a structured framework for understanding the evolution of barite research and for guiding future studies at the interface of mineral resources, industrial applications, geospatial exploration, and supply-chain concerns.