Nahcolite Mineral Data

General Nahcolite Information

Chemical Formula:

NaHCO3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 84.01 gm

Sodium 27.37 % Na 36.89 % Na₂O

Hydrogen 1.20 % H 10.72 % H₂O

Carbon 14.30 % C 52.39 % CO₂

Oxygen 57.14 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na(HCO₃)

Environment:

Continental evaporite deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1929

Locality:

Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the nmonic of the chemical formula (NaHCO).

Name Pronunciation:

Nahcolite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Baking soda

ICSD 18183

PDF 15-700

Sodium bicarbonate

Nahcolite Image

Images:

Nahcolite

Comments: Massive, translucent nahcolite.
Location: Anvil Point, Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado, USA. Scale: 2.1 x 1.4 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Trona Nahcolite

Comments: Massive, coarse-grained Trona from a drill core of the upper mixed-layer Saltbed. White areas are nahcolite alteration.
Location: Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, USA. Scale: 12 x 15 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Nahcolite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7717:1:0.3593

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.475, b = 9.686, c = 3.481, Z = 4; beta = 93.38° V = 251.60 Den(Calc)= 2.22

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/n

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.97(1), 2.6(0.9), 3.08(0.25),

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Forms: ( 1 1 0) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 1 1) ( 0 1 0) ( 1 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Nahcolite

Cleavage:

{101} Perfect, {111} Good, {100} Distinct

Color:

Colorless, White, Gray, Brown, Black.

Density:

2.21

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=blue-white cream-yellow, Long UV=cream-yellow.

Luster:

Vitreous - Resinous

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Nahcolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2197,KPDmeas= 0.2207,KC= 0.2171
Ncalc = 1.48

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.377, b=1.503, g=1.583, bire=0.2060

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Nahcolite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.22 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Nahcolite =2.22 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0018487923
Boson Index = 0.9981512077

Photoelectric:

PE_Nahcolite= 0.64 barns/electron
U=PE_Nahcolite x rElectron Density= 1.43 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Nahcolite is Not Radioactive

Nahcolite Classification

Dana Class:

13.01.01.01 (13)Acid Carbonates

(13.01)with miscellaneous formulae

(13.01.01)Dana Group

13.01.01.01 Nahcolite NaHCO3 P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.AA.15 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AA -Alkali Carbonates

05.AA.15 Nahcolite NaHCO3 P 2₁/n 2/m

Other Nahcolite Information

See Also:

Links to other databases for Nahcolite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Nahcolite Specimen Label here :

Nahcolite

NaHCO3
Dana No: 13.01.01.01 Strunz No: 05.AA.15
Locality:

Notes:

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