natron
Quick Summary
Natron is a naturally occurring mineral that is a hydrated sodium carbonate. It is typically found near saline lakes as an evaporation product or as an efflorescence on arid soil. Ancient Egyptians utilized natron as a preservative in the mummification process. Thermonatrite, another mineral, is closely related to natron and is often found with it. Thermonatrite is formed when natron undergoes partial dehydration, and many deposits initially identified as natron may actually be thermonatrite due to temperature and air conditions. The combining form "natr-" or "natro-" is also used in chemistry to refer to sodium.123
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ChadResources of Chad…Chad’s principal mineral resource was natron (a complex sodium carbonate), which is dug up in the Lake Chad and Borkou areas and is used as salt and in the preparation of soap and medicines. The discovery of oil north of Lake Chad led to further exploration and development, and in…
Read More…Chad’s principal mineral resource was natron (a complex sodium carbonate), which is dug up in the Lake Chad and Borkou areas and is used as salt and in the preparation of soap and medicines. The discovery of oil north of Lake Chad led to further exploration and development, and in…
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Kano…the Bauchi and Adamawa emirates; natron from Lake Chad; and sword blades, weaponry, silk, spices, and perfumes by the trans-Saharan camel caravans. The city’s capture by the British in 1903 and the opening of the railway from Lagos (715 miles southeast) in 1912 changed the direction of trade south to…
Read More…the Bauchi and Adamawa emirates; natron from Lake Chad; and sword blades, weaponry, silk, spices, and perfumes by the trans-Saharan camel caravans. The city’s capture by the British in 1903 and the opening of the railway from Lagos (715 miles southeast) in 1912 changed the direction of trade south to…
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AfricaNonmetallic depositsAnother important sodium mineral is natron, or sodium carbonate. Natron is more limited in occurrence, but Africa contains several significant deposits. It is found in Lake Magadi, Kenya, and in Lake Natron, Tanzania, as well as in western Africa, where beds have been deposited from the waters of Lake Chad.
Read MoreAnother important sodium mineral is natron, or sodium carbonate. Natron is more limited in occurrence, but Africa contains several significant deposits. It is found in Lake Magadi, Kenya, and in Lake Natron, Tanzania, as well as in western Africa, where beds have been deposited from the waters of Lake Chad.
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Lake ChadMineralsNatron (hydrated sodium carbonate), found in depressions along the northeastern shore of the lake, has long been economically important. Traditionally, it is excavated in blocks and shipped across the lake, where it enters Nigerian commerce.
Read MoreNatron (hydrated sodium carbonate), found in depressions along the northeastern shore of the lake, has long been economically important. Traditionally, it is excavated in blocks and shipped across the lake, where it enters Nigerian commerce.
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