Trona Mineral Data

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General Trona Information

Chemical Formula:

Na3(CO3)(HCO3)•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 226.03 gm

Sodium 30.51 % Na 41.13 % Na₂O

Hydrogen 2.23 % H 19.93 % H₂O

Carbon 10.63 % C 38.94 % CO₂

Oxygen 56.63 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₃(HCO₃)(CO₃)•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Non-marine evaporite deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1773

Locality:

Nile Vally near Memphis, Egypt. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From Arabic origins meaning "natron."

Name Pronunciation:

Trona

Synonym:

ICSD 62200

PDF 29-1447

Urao

Trona Image

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

Trona Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =5.7577:1:2.9504

Cell Dimensions:

a = 20.106, b = 3.492, c = 10.303, Z = 4; beta = 103.05° V = 704.69 Den(Calc)= 2.13

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: I2/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.647(1), 3.071(0.8), 4.892(0.55),

Forms:

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

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Crystal Structure:

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Choi C S , Mighell A D , Acta Crystallographica, Section B , 38 (1982) p.2874-2876, Neutron diffraction study of sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, Note: H3 disordered model, this is the prefered model

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Trona
[1]

Physical Properties of Trona

Cleavage:

{100} Perfect, {111} Indistinct, {001} Indistinct

Color:

Colorless, Gray white, Grayish, Yellowish, Yellowish white.

Density:

2.11 - 2.17, Average = 2.13

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Columnar - Forms columns

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Fluorescent and Phosphorescent, Short UV=blue-white yellow-orange, Long UV=bright blue white yellow-orange.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Trona

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.226,KPDmeas= 0.2249,KC= 0.2281
Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.49

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.412, b=1.492, g=1.54, bire=0.1280, 2V(Calc)=70, 2V(Meas)=72. Dispersion relatively strong.

Calculated Properties of Trona

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.15 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Trona =2.13 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0014442381
Boson Index = 0.9985557619

Photoelectric:

PE_Trona= 0.67 barns/electron
U=PE_Trona x rElectron Density= 1.45 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Trona Classification

Dana Class:

13.01.04.01 (13)Acid Carbonates

(13.01)with miscellaneous formulae

(13.01.04)Dana Group

13.01.04.01 Trona Na3(CO3)(HCO3)•2(H2O) I2/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.CB.15 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.C - Carbonates without Additional Anions, with H2O

05.CB -With large cations (alkali and alkali-earth carbonates)

05.CB.15 Trona Na3(CO3)(HCO3)•2(H2O) I2/a 2/m

Other Trona Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Collectors Book of Fluorescent Minerals) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

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

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

Trona

Na3(CO3)(HCO3)•2(H2O)
Dana No: 13.01.04.01 Strunz No: 05.CB.15
Locality:

Notes: