What is the difference between calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate?

What is the difference between calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate?
Calcium carbonate is a mineral and sodium carbonate is a chemical substance that are structurally very similar. The carbonate ion CO3 bonds with the sodium ion Na with two ionic valences. In the same way, it can bond with the calcium ion Ca. As a result, calcium carbonate is produced with the formula CaCO3 and sodium carbonate with the formula Na2CO3. Sodium carbonate is also known as soda ash and calcium carbonate is also known as calcite, gypsum, lime and marble. Calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate are both among the most widely used raw materials. Especially calcium carbonate, which constitutes about four percent of the earth's crust and is an abundant substance. Both substances are in the form of a white powder in appearance.

Production of sodium carbonate from calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate occurs in various natural forms in the environment, including marble, limestone, gypsum and the skeletons of marine organisms. While the natural form of sodium carbonate is in the form of trona and nacolite rocks, which can be used as a raw material for the production of soda after baking in a kiln. It is also possible to produce sodium carbonate from the reaction of calcium carbonate and sodium chloride. This process is carried out in 7 steps. The reaction for producing sodium carbonate from calcium carbonate is as follows:

CaCO3 + NaCl → CaCl2 + Na2CO3

Chemical difference between calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate
Both substances have alkaline properties. So that in equal weights, calcium carbonate has a pH of 9.9, while sodium carbonate has a pH of 10.9. On the other hand, calcium carbonate is somewhat soluble in water and is used to increase the pH of swimming pool water that has acidic properties, while calcium carbonate is insoluble in pure water, but if the water contains carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate dissolves in it and carbonic acid is formed. The way acid rain is created in nature is also by creating the same chemical reaction in the atmosphere.

Home and industrial uses of calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate
Each of these materials has different uses. The main use of calcium carbonate is in the construction industry, where it is used as a mortar additive or raw material in walling and joints. Calcium carbonate is also used in the production of various types of lime such as quicklime and hydrated lime, the production of paints and coatings, the production of agricultural fertilizers to correct soil pH, etc. Edible calcium carbonate is widely used as a pharmaceutical and food supplement to treat calcium deficiency. Calcium carbonate for livestock and poultry is also an important ingredient in the diet of domestic animals.

However, the main use of sodium carbonate is in the production of glass, where it is used as a fluxing agent. For this purpose, soda ash is combined with silica to reduce the melting temperature of the raw materials in glass production. Sodium carbonate is also added in large quantities to detergent powder to harden water and help wash clothes better by removing excess ions.