Nitrocalcite

Nitrocalcite
Mineralogical name	Nitrocalcite
Chemical name	Calcium Nitrate Tetrahydrate
Trivial name	Nitrate of lime
Chemical formula	Ca(NO3)2•4H2O
Other forms
Crystal system	monoclinic
Crystal structure
Deliquescence humidity 20°C	53.1% [Steiger etal: 2014]Title: Weathering and Deterioration Author: Steiger, Michael; Charola A. Elena; Sterflinger, Katja
Solubility (g/l) at 20°C	2660 g/l
Density (g/cm³)	1.82 g/cm3
Molar volume	129.8 cm3/mol
Molar weight	236.16 g/mol
Transparency	transparent
Cleavage
Crystal habit
Twinning
Phase transition
Chemical behavior
Comments
Crystal Optics
Refractive Indices	nx = 1.465 ny = 1.498 nz = 1.504
Birefringence	Δ = 0.039
Optical Orientation	negative
Pleochroism
Dispersion
Used Literature
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Phase Diagrams

Figure 1 Phases in the system CaNO₃/H₂O (diagram: Michael Steiger)

Figure 2 The system CaNO₃/H₂O between -30°C to 0°C (diagram : Michael Steiger)

Hygroscopicity

Table 1: Deliquescence humidities of nitrocalcite at different round temperatures [Steiger etal: 2014]Title: Weathering and Deterioration
Author: Steiger, Michael; Charola A. Elena; Sterflinger, Katja

0°C	10°C	20°C	30°C	40°C	50°C
63.8%r.h.	58.8%r.h.	53.1%r.h.	46.0%r.h.	35.5%r.h.	21.3%r.h. (Ca(NO3)2•3H2O)

Under the polarizing microscope

• Crystallized from a saturated solution with ethanol addition
• 

  in simple polarized light

• 

  under crossed polarizers

• 

  under crossed polarizers and Red I

• Crystallized in a micro climate chamber
• 

  in simple polarized light

• 

  under crossed polarizers and Red I

A phase is a physically distinctive form of matter and is characterized by having relatively uniform chemical and physical properties.