ABSTRACT
Pure sodium is a soft and highly reactive metal that is not freely occurring in nature, so sodium is generally found in mineral compounds such as feldspar, sodalite, and the most common rock salt sodium chloride. Many sodium salts are very water-soluble and therefore sodium is one of the most common dissolved elements by weight in the oceans. Sodium’s name can be derived from the word soda, or from the sodanum compound which was used in medieval times to cure headaches. Sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide are widely used in manufacture of glass, paper, textiles, soaps, and detergents, but also as water softening or cooking. Liquid sodium can also be used as a coolant in nuclear reactors. Sodium vapor is used in streetlights and produces a brilliant yellow light. Sodium concentration quantification is generally performed by placing phantoms of known sodium concentration and known relaxation times within the field-of-view of the images.
