Sodium nitride

Sodium nitride is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Na3N. It is made of sodium and nitride ions. The molar mass is around 82.976 g/mol. It appears as a reddish-brown or dark blue powder depending which production method is used.

Reactions with sodium nitride

Sodium nitride is an unstable compound, which means it decomposes to sodium metal and nitrogen gas at high temperatures.

The balanced chemical equation is:
Na3N → 6Na + N2

It can also react with water to make sodium hydroxide and ammonia gas.

The balanced chemical equation is:
Na3N + 3H2O → 3NaOH + NH3

It can also react with hydrochloric acid to make sodium chloride and ammonia gas.[1]

The balanced chemical equation is:
Na3N + 3HCl → 3NaCl + NH3

References

  1. ↑ "Sodium Nitride Formula - Structure, Properties, Uses, Sample Questions". GeeksforGeeks. 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2026-02-28.