# Nitratine > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nitratine > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nitratine.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitratine > Source revision: 1292635610 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Mineral form of sodium nitrate Nitratine General Category Nitrate minerals Formula NaNO3 IMA symbol Ntt[1] Strunz classification 5.NA.05 (10th edition) 5/A.01-10 (8th edition) Crystal system Trigonal Crystal class Hexagonal scalenohedral (3m) H-M symbol: (3 2/m) Space group R3c (no. 167) Unit cell a = 5.06 Å, c = 16.82 Å; Z = 6 Identification Formula mass 84.99 g/mol Color Colorless, white, gray, yellowish, brownish Crystal habit Granular – Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix; massive – Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses Cleavage {1011} Perfect Tenacity Sectile – curved shavings or scrapings produced by a knife blade Mohs scale hardness 1.5 – 2 Luster Vitreous (glassy) Streak White Diaphaneity Transparent Specific gravity 2.26 Optical properties Uniaxial (−) Refractive index nω = 1.580 – 1.587 nε = 1.330 – 1.336 Birefringence δ = 0.250–0.251 Solubility Readily soluble in water Other characteristics Slightly deliquescent References [2][3] **Nitratine** or **nitratite**, also known as **cubic niter** (UK: **nitre**), **soda niter** or **Chile saltpeter** (UK: **Chile saltpetre**), is a [mineral](/source/Mineral), the naturally occurring form of [sodium nitrate](/source/Sodium_nitrate), NaNO3. Chemically it is the sodium analogue of [saltpeter](/source/Saltpeter). Nitratine crystallizes in the [trigonal](/source/Rhombohedral_crystal_system) system, but rarely occurs as well-formed crystals. It is isostructural with [calcite](/source/Calcite). It is relatively soft and light with a [Mohs hardness](/source/Mohs_hardness) of 1.5 to 2 and a [specific gravity](/source/Specific_gravity) of 2.24 to 2.29. Its [refractive indices](/source/Refractive_index) are nω = 1.587 and nε = 1.336.[4] The typical form is as coatings of white, grey to yellowish brown masses. The rare crystals when found typically have the [scalenohedral](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scalenohedral) form of the [calcite](/source/Calcite) structure. It is found only as an [efflorescence](/source/Efflorescence) in very dry environments. It is very soluble in water such that it is [deliquescent](/source/Deliquescent) and will absorb water out of the air and turn into a puddle of sodium nitrate solution when exposed to humid air. There are nitratine deposits located in arid regions across the world such as in Chile, Mexico, Egypt, Peru, and South Africa.[5] Chile is the only country to sell their deposits commercially as fertilizer. The salt bed that is mined contains more minerals than just nitratine often containing sulfurous minerals as well as Iodine. Around 600,000 tons of nitratine are mined in Chile each year with other products such as Iodine and sodium sulfate mined as well.[5] Nitratine happens to be isostructural to calcite, CaCO3, a widespread naturally occurring mineral, although nitratine dissolution and [crystallization](/source/Crystallization) occur much faster than the same processes for calcite.[6] The structural similarity makes nitratine a very useful mineral for laboratory experiments concerning pressure dissolution and other experiments such as serving as a proxy for the deformation and formation of calcite.[6] The [Saltpeter War](/source/Saltpeter_War_(Mexico)) (1480–1510)[7] and the [War of the Pacific](/source/War_of_the_Pacific) (1879–1884)[8] were fought over the control of saltpeter deposits. ## Uses Nitratine was once an important source of nitrates for fertilizer and other chemical uses including [fireworks](/source/Fireworks). It has been known since 1845 from mineral deposits in the [Confidence Hills](/source/Confidence_Hills), Southern [Death Valley](/source/Death_Valley), [California](/source/California) and the [Atacama Desert](/source/Atacama_Desert), [Chile](/source/Chile). It is still used in [organic farming](/source/Organic_farming) (where [Haber–Bosch ammonia](/source/Haber_process) is forbidden) in the US, but prohibited in international [organic agriculture](/source/Organic_farming).[9] The mineral also has a wide range of applications beyond being used as a fertilizer in agricultural practices. Nitratine has been used in the [explosives](/source/Explosive) industry for water-containing slurry as well as gel explosives.[5] It is also used as a refining agent to remove air bubbles by the glass and enamel industries.[5] Nitratine, other alkali nitrates, or nitrites also have applications for solar technology serving as a heat-transfer or heat-storage medium.[5] Nitratine can also be used as a substitute for potassium nitrate in gunpowder.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Synthetic sodium nitrate After World War I the need for a more efficient production of fertilizer led to the production of synthetic nitratine which was much less costly in terms of production than the Shanks process used to refine chilean saltpeter.[5] The method of production involved using tail gases from nitric acid plants in combination with sodium carbonate solution or sodium hydroxide solution. Through a series of reactions it is possible to produce sodium nitrate and sodium nitrate with byproducts such as nitrogen monoxide and water.[5] The following reactions show the chemistry necessary to produce sodium nitrates: 2 NaOH + 2 NO 2 + NO ⟶ 2 NaNO 2 + H 2 O {\displaystyle {\ce {2NaOH + 2NO2 + NO -> 2NaNO2 + H2O}}} Na 2 CO 3 + NO 2 + NO ⟶ 2 NaNO 2 + CO 2 {\displaystyle {\ce {Na2CO3 + NO2 + NO -> 2NaNO2 +CO2}}} 2 NaOH + 2 NO 2 ⟶ NaNO 3 + NaNO 2 + H 2 O {\displaystyle {\ce {2NaOH + 2NO2 -> NaNO3 + NaNO2 + H2O}}} Na 2 CO 3 + 2 NO 2 ⟶ NaNO 3 + NaNO 2 + CO 2 {\displaystyle {\ce {Na2CO3 + 2NO2 -> NaNO3 + NaNO2 +CO2}}} 3 NaNO 2 + 2 HNO 3 ⟶ 3 NaNO 3 + 2 NO + H 2 O {\displaystyle {\ce {3NaNO2 + 2HNO3 -> 3NaNO3 + 2 NO + H2O}}} [5] Advertisement for Chilean saltpeter for use as fertilizer in Spain ## See also - [Fertilizer](/source/Fertilizer) - [List of Saltpeter works in Tarapacá and Antofagasta](/source/List_of_Saltpeter_works_in_Tarapac%C3%A1_and_Antofagasta) - [Mining in Chile](/source/Mining_in_Chile) - [Niter](/source/Niter) - [Nitrate](/source/Nitrate) - [Nitric acid](/source/Nitric_acid) - [Nitrogen cycle](/source/Nitrogen_cycle) - [Paradas method](/source/Paradas_method) - [Potassium nitrate](/source/Potassium_nitrate) - [Sodium hydroxide](/source/Sodium_hydroxide) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Warr, L.N. (2021). ["IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols"](https://doi.org/10.1180%2Fmgm.2021.43). *Mineralogical Magazine*. **85** (3): 291–320. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2021MinM...85..291W](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021MinM...85..291W). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1180/mgm.2021.43](https://doi.org/10.1180%2Fmgm.2021.43). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [235729616](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:235729616). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Nitratine page on mindat.org](http://www.mindat.org/min-2916.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Nitratine page on webmineral.com](http://www.webmineral.com/data/Nitratine.shtml) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Nesse, W, introduction to Optical Mineralogy, Fourth Edition (Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press) 2013. appendix II, B.3 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:0_5-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:0_5-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:0_5-7) Laue, Wolfgang; Thiemann, Michael; Scheibler, Erich; Wiegand, Karl Wilhelm (2000-06-15), ["Nitrates and Nitrites"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14356007.a17_265), in Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA (ed.), *Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry*, Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, pp. a17_265, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/14356007.a17_265](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F14356007.a17_265), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-527-30673-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-527-30673-2), retrieved 2023-02-17 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_6-1) ["LBNL BES Geosciences – Pressure Dissolution Seams"](https://sites.google.com/lbl.gov/lbnl-fundamental-geoscience/topic-1-carbonates/pressure-dissolution-seams). *sites.google.com*. Retrieved 2023-04-12. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Enciclopedia de Mexico, 2005, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-56409-074-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56409-074-4), [p.1542](https://books.google.com/books?id=GtF5AAAAMAAJ&q=%22guerra+del+Salitre%22+1510) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** St. John, Ronald Bruce; Schofield, Clive (1994). *The Bolivia–Chile–Peru Dispute in the Atacama Desert*. University of Durham, International Boundaries Research Unit. pp. 12–13. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1897643144](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1897643144). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** *[The Omnivores Dilemma](/source/The_Omnivores_Dilemma)* – [Michael Pollan](/source/Michael_Pollan) ## External links - [Nitratine page](http://www.mindat.org/min-2916.html) on [mindat.org](/source/Mindat.org) - [Nitratine page on webmineral.com](http://www.webmineral.com/data/Nitratine.shtml) - [Mineral galleries data](https://web.archive.org/web/20060111234551/http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/carbonat/nitratin/nitratin.htm) This article about a specific mineral or mineraloid is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Mineral-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMineral-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Mineral-stub) Authority control databases National United States Japan Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nitratine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitratine) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitratine?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.