What chemical form is sodium mined?

Answer 1

Sodium isn't exactly mined. Sodium in its pure substance cannot be found freely in the environment. Sodium must go through a process of electrolysis (the process of shooting an electrical current through a substance) to break down the sodium compounds into pure sodium.

These sodium compounds are found in multiple places. They can be found in the ocean, coal/salt mines, and many other places. In fact about 2.6% of the Earths crust is made up of sodium compounds.

Answer 2

Sodium is NOT mined. nor found as a native metal.

However, in numerous places around the world, there are 'Salt Mines'.

These Salt mines bring to the surface white crystalline salt (Sodium Chloride (NaCl).)

Sodium chloride is then dissolved in water and electrolysed. In the electrolytic process Chlorine and Hydrogen gases are liberated.

The hydrogen comes from the fact that as sodium is liberated in the aqueous solution, it reacts with the water to liberate hydrogen.

In order to stop this, the sodium cathode is made of Mercury, So the sodium moves into the mercury, and away from water/oxygen. The two metals are then separated, allowing solid sodium to be obtained. Sodium metal is kept under oil , to keep it away from oxygen (air), otherwise it would react.

Before Electricity was fully understood, it was impossible to separate sodium metal.

Answer 3

Sodium is not mined. At least not as sodium. Sodium metal is highly reactive, and as such, it is not found free in nature. It will be found in combination with another or other elements. The most common form in which we see sodium is as halite or sodium chloride, which is table salt. And there are salt mines in a number of locations around the world. If we are recovering sodium metal for some reason, we can melt salt (sodium chloride) and separate it through an electrochemical process. But we have to cool and store the sodium carefully. Even the moisture in air can (and will) react with sodium.

Answer 4

Sodium is primarily mined in the form of sodium chloride, which is commonly known as table salt. It is extracted from salt mines or salt pans through a process called solution mining or through evaporation of saltwater.

Answer 5

Sodium is extracted from mines as sodium chloride (NaCl).