Sodium nitrate

Description

Colorless, deliquescent crystals that naturally as Caliche in mineral deposits. Sodium nitrate is primarily used as a fertilizer. It is also used in the manufacture of glass, match heads, and explosives.

Synonyms and Related Terms

caliche; Chili niter; Chile nitre; Chile saltpeter; soda niter; cubic niter; dusiènan sodný (Ces.); Natriumnitrat (Deut.); nitrato sódico (Esp.); nitrate de sodium (Fr.); natriumnitraat (Ned.); azotan(V) sodu (Pol.);

FTIR

Chemical structure

Other Properties

Soluble in water, glycerol. Slightly soluble in ethanol. Crystals are cubic.

Composition	NaNO3
CAS	7631-99-4
Melting Point	308
Density	2.267
Molecular Weight	mol. wt. = 85
Refractive Index	1.5874, 1.3361
Boiling Point	380 (dec)

Hazards and Safety

Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Hygroscopic. Contact may cause irritation.

LINK: International Chemical Safety Card

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 738

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985

• Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 8792

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrate (Accessed Jan. 15, 2006)

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index = 1.5874, 1.3361