Nahcolite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Nahcolite
Formula:
NaHCO3
Colour:
Colourless, white, greyish; colourless in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Vitreous, Resinous
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
2.21 - 2.238
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
In allusion to the composition, containing sodium (NA), hydrogen (H), and carbonate (CO) + -lite.
This page provides mineralogical data about Nahcolite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
2831
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:2831:4
Similar Names
| Nakhlite | A synonym of 'Nakhlite meteorite' | |
| Niocalite | A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered | (Ca,Nb)4(Si2O7)(O,OH,F)2 |
IMA Classification of Nahcolite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Classification of Nahcolite
5.AA.15
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
A : Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O
A : Alkali carbonates
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
A : Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O
A : Alkali carbonates
13.1.1.1
13 : ACID CARBONATES
1 : Miscellaneous
13 : ACID CARBONATES
1 : Miscellaneous
11.1.3
11 : Carbonates
1 : Carbonates of the alkali metals and ammonium
11 : Carbonates
1 : Carbonates of the alkali metals and ammonium
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Nah | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Nahcolite
Vitreous, Resinous
Transparency:
Transparent
Comment:
resinous on cleavages.
Colour:
Colourless, white, greyish; colourless in transmitted light.
Streak:
White
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Perfect
On {101} perfect; on {111} good; on {100} distinct.
On {101} perfect; on {111} good; on {100} distinct.
Fracture:
Conchoidal
Density:
2.21 - 2.238 g/cm3 (Measured) 2.16 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Nahcolite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.375(2) nβ = 1.498 - 1.503 nγ = 1.583
2V:
Measured: 75° , Calculated: 74°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.208
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Moderate (negative)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
r < v weak
Pleochroism:
Non-pleochroic
Comments:
colorless in thin section
Comments:
Surface relief is stated here as "low". However, like many carbonates, the actual surface is variable, in this case changing with stage rotation from low positive (γ vibration direction) to very high negative (α vibration direction).
Chemistry of Nahcolite
Mindat Formula:
NaHCO3
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Nahcolite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Cell Parameters:
a = 7.525(4) Å, b = 9.72(4) Å, c = 3.53(3) Å
β = 93.38°
β = 93.38°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.774 : 1 : 0.363
Unit Cell V:
257.75 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Crystals prismatic [001] with {110} and {010} dominant. Normally terminated by {101} and minor {111}; also by {111} and {101} in equal development. Porous masses, friable crystal aggregates.
Twinning:
Very common, with {101} as the twin and composition plane. Both contact and penetration twins, often as reticulated groups, and flattened {010}.
Comment:
Space Group: P21/n (synthetic).
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0009267 | Nahcolite | Sass R L, Scheuerman R F (1962) The crystal structure of sodium bicarbonate Acta Crystallographica 15 77-81 |  | 1962 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
| 0017923 | Nahcolite | Zachariasen W (1933) The Crystal Lattice of Sodium Bicarbonate, Na H C O3 _cod_database_code 1011016 Journal of Chemical Physics 1 634-639 | 1933 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.97 Å | (100) |
| 2.60 Å | (90) |
| 3.08 Å | (25) |
| 2.217 Å | (18) |
| 2.032 Å | (18) |
| 3.48 Å | (15) |
| 1.900 Å | (15) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere | >4.45 |
| 14 : Hot springs, geysers, and other subaerial geothermal minerals | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks | |
| 36 : Carbonatites, kimberlites, and related igneous rocks | |
| Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals | <10 Ka |
| 56 : Slag and smelter minerals (see also #51 and #55) |
Geological Setting:
Precipitate from hot springs; as efflorescences around saline lakes and in brines; formed at a late stage in differentiated alkalic massifs; as tiny daughter crystals in fluid inclusions in a variety of hydrothermally formed mineral species.
Type Occurrence of Nahcolite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
National School of Mines, Paris, France, 17912.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
In a lava tunnel.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Nahcolite
Other Language Names for Nahcolite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 28 photos of Nahcolite associated with Halite | NaCl |
| 5 photos of Nahcolite associated with Trona | Na3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O |
| 3 photos of Nahcolite associated with Qilianshanite | NaHCO3 · H3BO3 · 2H2O |
| 1 photo of Nahcolite associated with Wegscheiderite | Na5H3(CO3)4 |
| 1 photo of Nahcolite associated with Sanrománite | Na2CaPb3[CO3]5 |
| 1 photo of Nahcolite associated with Juangodoyite | Na2Cu(CO3)2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 5.AA.05 | Zabuyelite | Li2CO3 |
| 5.AA.10 | Natrite | Na2CO3 |
| 5.AA.10 | Gregoryite | (Na2,K2,Ca)CO3 |
| 5.AA.20 | Kalicinite | KHCO3 |
| 5.AA.25 | Teschemacherite | (NH4)HCO3 |
| 5.AA.30 | Wegscheiderite | Na5H3(CO3)4 |
Other Information
Notes:
Readily soluble in water and glycerine.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Nahcolite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2831.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Nahcolite
Reference List:
(1889) Manufacture of Sodium Bicarbonate. Scientific American, 27 (694) 11088 doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04201889-11088csupp
Larsen, Esper S. (1921) The microscopic determination of the nonopaque minerals. Bulletin 679. US Geological Survey doi:10.3133/b679 p.134
Bannister, F. A. (1929) The so-called ‘thermokalite’ and the existence of sodium bicarbonate as a mineral. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 22 (124) 53-64 doi:10.1180/minmag.1929.022.124.04
Foshag, William F. (1940) Sodium bicarbonate (nahcolite) from Searles Lake, California. American Mineralogist, 25 (12) 769-778
Ertl, Tell (1947) Sodium bicarbonate (nahcolite) from Colorado oil shale. American Mineralogist, 32 (3-4) 117-120
Sass, R. L., Scheuerman, R. F. (1962) The crystal structure of sodium bicarbonate. Acta Crystallographica, 15 (1) 77-81 doi:10.1107/s0365110x62000158
Rankin, A. H., Le Bas, M. J. (1974) Nahcolite (NaHCO3) in inclusions in apatites from some E. African ijolites and carbonatites. Mineralogical Magazine, 39 (305) 564-570 doi:10.1180/minmag.1974.039.305.09
Hulsbosch, Niels, Thomas, Rainer, Boiron, Marie-Christine, Dewaele, Stijn, Muchez, Philippe (2017) Direct Observation of Boro-Aluminosilicate Melt Compositions: Insights From Raman Spectroscopy of Melt Inclusions In Pegmatitic Tourmaline of the Gatumba-Gitarama Area (Rwanda) The Canadian Mineralogist, 55 (3) 377-397 doi:10.3749/canmin.1600093
Localities for Nahcolite
Showing 95 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Antarctica | |
| Fitzpatrick et al. (1990) +2 other references |
Argentina | |
| Aristarain (1993) |
Austria | |
| A.Csaplovics (2014) |
| A.Csaplovics (2014) | |
| A.Csaplovics (2014) |
| A.Csaplovics (2014) | |
| Götzinger (2009) +1 other reference | |
| A.Csaplovics (2014) | |
Belgium | |
| A. Darimont et al. |
Brazil | |
| Kaminsky et al. (2015) |
Burundi | |
| Midende et al. (2014) |
Canada | |
| Kohut et al. (1993) | |
| Liu (1993) |
| 176-178. +2 other references |
| Fournier (1993) |
| FOURNIER (1993) | |
| Last (1990) |
Chile | |
| Schlüter et al. (2005) |
China | |
| Song et al. (2024) |
| Qingtang Yang (1987) +2 other references | |
| Youxun Zhang (1983) | |
| Kezao Chen (1992) | |
| Shiqing Luo et al. (1993) |
| Chen et al. (2026) |
| Xiyu Zheng and Shengsong Yu (1981) +1 other reference |
| Xiyu Zheng and Shengsong Yu (1981) +1 other reference |
| Wang et al. (2021) +1 other reference |
Czech Republic | |
| Cílek |
| Varilová et al. (2011) |
Denmark | |
| Thomas et al. (2011) |
Egypt | |
| Marchesini et al. (2009) +1 other reference |
| Marchesini et al. (2019) | |
| Marchesini et al. (2019) | |
| Marchesini et al. (2019) | |
Finland | |
| gac.esd.mun.ca (n.d.) |
France | |
| |
Germany | |
| |
| Schnorrer-Köhler (1991) | |
| Bender et al. (1994) |
| Knoll (2004) |
Greenland | |
| Sørensen (2001) +1 other reference |
Italy | |
| Russo et al. (2004) |
| Bannister F.A. (1928) +1 other reference |
Kenya | |
| Périnet et al. (1982) |
| Geological Society of America Abstracts ... |
| Palache et al. (1951) | |
Madagascar | |
| Vapnik et al. (2003) |
Mexico | |
| Levresse |
Mozambique | |
| Thomas et al. (2010) |
| Mineralogical Magazine | |
Namibia | |
| Buehn et al. (1999) +1 other reference |
| Bühn et al. (2002) | |
Niger | |
| Saidou et al. (2015) |
| Saidou et al. (2015) | |
Norway | |
| Larsen et al. (1998) |
Romania | |
| www.geol.vt.edu (2005) |
Russia | |
| Pekov et al. (2004) |
| ... | |
| Pekov (1998) +1 other reference |
South Africa | |
| Giuliani et al. (2012) +1 other reference |
Sudan | |
| Mees et al. (1991) +1 other reference |
Sweden | |
| Sandström et al. (2010) |
Switzerland | |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
Tajikistan | |
| Thomas et al. (2010) +1 other reference |
Tanzania | |
| Mitchell (2006) +1 other reference |
Tunisia | |
| Mlayah et al. (2009) |
| Smykatz-Kloss et al. (2010) |
Turkey | |
| Helvaci et al. (2004) |
| Helvaci (1998) +1 other reference | |
USA | |
| Jones (1961) +4 other references |
| Smith et al. (1987) |
| Foshag (1940) +3 other references |
| Harvard Museum of Natural History ... |
| Ertl (1947) +1 other reference |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| - (2005) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Tank (1972) +3 other references | |
| Färber (n.d.) |
| Smith et al. (1972) |
| Bullock (1981) | |
| gsa.confex.com (n.d.) | |
| Milton et al. (1960) | |
| U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report ... +1 other reference | |
| Chao et al. (1961) |
| Milton et al. (1955) +1 other reference |
| - (2005) |
| - (2005) | |
| - (2005) | |
| Fahey et al. (1963) | |
| Fahey et al. (1963) | |
| Fahey et al. (1963) |
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