Thenardite

Thenardite, named after the French chemist, Louis-Jacques Thenard, is a white or brown colored mineral with a vitreous lustre that dissolves easily in water and has a weak salty taste. It forms in sedimentary evaporate deposits in lakes and the playas of desert climates. Thenardite was confirmed as a distinct species of mineral in 1826 and is used in the glass and paper-making industries. Anhydrous sodium sulphate It has the formulae Na2SO4 and a relative hardness of 3.