Trona
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Description
A white, yellow or gray mineral that contains sodium sesquicarbonate. Trona occurs as an evaporation product near mineral springs and in dry lake beds. Trona is mined in Hungary, Egypt (lower Nile Valley), Kenya (Rift Valley), Namibia (Etosha National Park), Armenia, Iran, Mongolia, Venezuela, and the U.S.(Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, California). It is a primary source for sodium carbonates.
Synonyms and Related Terms
urao; nahcolite; trona (Esp., Port.); Trona (Deut.); trona (Ned.)
Risks
Noncombustible
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Crystal system = monoclinic, prismatic
- Cleavage = perfect in one direction
- Fracture = subconchoidal
- Luster = vitreous
- Streak = white
| Composition | Na2CO3 - NaHCO3 - 2H2O |
|---|---|
| CAS | 497-19-8 |
| Mohs Hardness | 2.5 |
| Density | 2.11-2.17 g/ml |
Resources and Citations
- WebMinerals: Trona
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 735
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "trona" [Accessed 20 Sept. 2005].
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trona (Accessed Sept. 20, 2005)
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998