Constituent
Name
Natrite (sodium carbonate anhydrous)
IMA name
Natrite
Class
non-silicate mineral
Compound type
carbonate
Comments
Equivalent Space Group: Pmcn (62)
Constituent abundance in material
Relevance
main - major
Arrangement
single phase
Mass fraction
1.0 $\pm$ 0.005
Abundance comments
less than 1% $H_2O$, sum of [Ca, K, Mg] < 0.04%
Chemical composition
Formula
$Na_2CO_3$
Chemical formula
Na2CO3
Elemental formula
(Na2+)2 C O (O-)2
Isotope mixture type
terrestrial abundance
  Formula Name Family Number min-max Isotope mole fraction State Relevance
$Na^{2+}$ Sodium cation element 2 constituent cation main
$(CO_3)^{2-}$ Carbonate anion chemical function 1 anionic radical main
Chemical functions
  Function Number
$(CO_3)^{2-}$ 1
Chemical bonds
  Bond Number
$Na^+ \cdot O^{-}-$ 2
$\dddot - \dddot - C \dddot - O^{-2/3}$ 3
Oxides
Formula $Na_{2}O$ $CO_{2}$
Mass fraction (%) 58.48 41.52

Strunz

Class
carbonates - nitrates (05)
Division
carbonates without additional anions, without H2O (05.A)
Family
Alkali carbonates (05.AA)
Code
05.AA.10

Dana

Major class
carbonates, nitrates, borates (V)
Class
anhydrous carbonates (14)
Type
with simple formula A+CO3 (14.01)
Group
Natrite group (14.01.06)
Code
14.01.06.01
Phase type
crystalline
Crystal system
monoclinic
Crystal class
prismatic
Crystal class symbol
2/m (C2h)
Crystal spacegroup
C2/m
Molar mass
105.99 $g/mol$
Density
2.54 $g/cm^3$
Refringence type
biaxial
Refringence sign
negative
Birefringence
0.133
Refraction index $n_{\alpha}$
1.41
Refraction index $n_{\beta}$
1.535
Refraction index $n_{\gamma}$
1.543
Color
Colorless, Yellow orange, White, Pink
Diaphaneity
transparent
Luster
vitreous