The key difference between natron and baking soda is that natron is a mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and sodium bicarbonate, whereas baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
Natron and baking soda are closely related chemical compounds because both these compounds are sodium-containing compounds that are useful for their mineralogical importance.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Natron
3. What is Baking Soda
4. Natron vs Baking Soda in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Natron vs Baking Soda
What is Natron?
Natron is a mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and sodium bicarbonate. Sodium carbonate decahydrate has the chemical formula Na2CO3.10H2O, which is a type of soda ash. Natron has around 17% of sodium bicarbonate. This is a white to colorless compound in its pure form. But it turns yellow or grey with impurities. Sometimes, natron deposits can be found in saline lake beds, which arise in arid environments.
Historically, natron was obtained directly as a salt mixture from dry lake beds that were found in ancient Egypt. It has been used for thousands of years as a cleaning agent for households as well as for the body. We can blend it with oil to form soap. Moreover, this compound can soften water while removing oil and grease. In the past, undiluted natron was used as a cleanser for teeth and as a mouthwash. However, these many uses were gradually replaced by closely related sodium compounds and other minerals. It has detergent properties that are now commercially supplied by soda ash.
The term natron can be defined as the mineralogical name for sodium carbonate decahydrate. This is because sodium carbonate decahydrate is the major component of natron. The specific gravity of this compound can range from 1.42 to 1.47, and the Mohs hardness of this mineral is 1. It can crystallize into a monoclinic-comatic crystal system to form efflorescence and encrustations.
What is Baking Soda?
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. It is an inorganic solid that appears as white crystals. It has the chemical formula NaHCO3, and its molar mass is 84 g/mol. Moreover, it is a salt containing sodium cations and bicarbonate anions. The naturally occurring form of this compound is “nahcolite.”
The applications of baking soda include cooking purposes as a leavening agent, as pest control to kill cockroaches, as a chemical that can raise the alkalinity of water sources, as a mild disinfectant, and as a chemical for the nebulization of acids and bases.
Baking soda is an amphoteric compound, and its aqueous solutions are alkaline (mildly) because of the formation of carbonic acid and hydroxide ions. Often, we can use this compound as a safer alternative for sodium hydroxide. We can also use it as a wash to remove any acidic impurities from crude liquid, which gives a more pure sample comparatively. Further, this compound can react with acetic acid found in vinegar to give sodium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide.
Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate or baking soda can undergo gradual decomposition at high temperatures to form sodium carbonate, water, and carbon dioxide. However, this conversion becomes fast at a higher temperature. Further heating can give the oxide compound as well.
What is the Difference Between Natron and Baking Soda?
Natron and baking soda are important types of chemical compounds having many uses in the household. The key difference between natron and baking soda is that natron is a mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and sodium bicarbonate, whereas baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
The below infographic presents the differences between natron and baking soda in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Natron vs Baking Soda
Natron and baking soda are important chemical compounds. The key difference between natron and baking soda is that natron is a mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and sodium bicarbonate, whereas baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Natron is useful to dry and preserve fish, as an ancient household insecticide, to make leather, as a bleach for cloths, during mummification to absorb water and to behave as a drying agent, etc., while baking soda is useful as a component in mouthwash, teeth whitener, deodorant, air freshener, kitchen cleaner, as a food additive, etc.
Reference:
1. Raman, Ryan. “22 Benefits and Uses of Baking Soda.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 18 Nov. 2021.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Natron deposits, Trou au Natron, Chad” By Alexios Niarchos – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sodium bicarbonate” By Thavox – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia