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Formula: Na2CO3
Anhydrous carbonate
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.54 measured, 2.55 calculated
Hardness: 3½
Streak: White
Colour: Grey-white to colourless
Solubility: Soluble in water
Environments:
Plutonic igneous environments
Evaporite deposits
Localities
At the Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Quebec, Canada, natrite occurs in
sodalite xenoliths associated with an intrusive alkalic
gabbro-syenite complex
(HOM).
There are three co-type localities,
Rasvumchorr Mt, Khibiny Massif,
Olenii Ruchei, the carbonatite Stock in the vicinity of Tul'ilukht Bay, Khibiny Massif, Murmansk Oblast, Russia , and
Karnasurt Mountain, Lovozersky District,
all in Murmansk Oblast, Russia.
Here natrite occurs in deep workings and drill cores in mines in evaporite rocks. In air it rapidly hydrates to
thermonatrite
(Dana).
Associated minerals include thermonatrite,
vinogradovite, shortite,
pirssonite, gaylussite,
nacaphite, natrosilite,
villiaumite, neighborite,
rasvumite, lomonosovite,
pectolite, sodalite and
fluorcaphite
(AM 68.281-282, HOM).
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