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, the naturally occurring form of sodium nitrate, NaNO3. Chemically it is the sodium analogue of saltpeter. Nitratine crystallizes in the trigonal system, but rarely occurs as well-formed crystals. It is isostructural with calcite. It is relatively soft and light with a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2 and a specific gravity of 2.24 to 2.29. Its refractive indices 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 form of the calcite structure. It is found only as an efflorescence in very dry environments. It is very soluble in water such that it is 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 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 (1480–1510)[7] and the War of the Pacific (1879–1884)[8] were fought over the control of saltpeter deposits.
^Enciclopedia de Mexico, 2005, ISBN 978-1-56409-074-4, p.1542
^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 1897643144.
Nitratine or nitratite, also known as cubic niter (UK: nitre), soda niter or Chile saltpeter (UK: Chile saltpetre), is a mineral, the naturally occurring...
the sodium carbonate salts occurring in the deserts of Egypt, not the nitratine (nitrated sodium salts) typically occurring in the deserts of Chile (classically...
ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. The mineral form is also known as nitratine, nitratite or soda niter. Sodium nitrate is a white deliquescent solid...
naturally on earth in arid environments as large deposits, particularly of nitratine, a major source of sodium nitrate. Nitrates are produced by a number of...
in seawater. Other solid deposits include halite, amphibole, cryolite, nitratine, and zeolite. Many of these solid deposits occur as a result of ancient...
Santa Laura Saltpeter Works Niter, a mineral form of potassium nitrate Nitratine Nitrocellulose Potassium perchlorate Record of Potassium nitrate in the...
and fluorite Sulfates: such as gypsum, barite, and anhydrite Nitrates: nitratine (soda niter) and niter Borates: typically found in arid-salt-lake deposits...
Natrochalcite Nch Newberyite New Niter Nit Natrodufrénite Ndf Neyite Ney Nitratine Ntt Natroglaucocerinite Ngc Nežilovite Než Nitrobarite Nba Natrojarosite...
The exploring of the Chilean miners found rich deposits of saltpeter (nitratine) in the field of Salar del Carmen, to the east of the present Antofagasta...
placer gold occurs today. Geology of Chile Law on Mining Concessions Nitratine or Chile saltpeter, the naturally occurring form of sodium nitrate List...
started the Great Depression, which destroyed the export market for Chilean nitratine and sharply reduced demand for Chilean copper. The loss of export income...
Mineralogical Museum in Hamburg, Germany. Belloite is commonly found alongside nitratine and paratacamite. It is unstable in the presence of water or in humid...
anions link the octahedra Chanabayaite coexists with halite, joanneumite, nitratine, salammoniac and paragenetically-unrelated chalcopyrite. Chalcopyrite...
containing carlosruizite consists chiefly of a fine-grained mixture of nitratine, halite, and darapskite. The residues of leaching this material in cold...
chemical has several names depending on how and where it is produced: Nitratine, saltpeter, salpeter, Sodium nitrate, salitre or caliche. The first saltpeter...
black powder. The potassium nitrate was produced from Russian potash and nitratine. From 1859 to 1864, production of potassium nitrate increased from 250...