Process for the joint production of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate

A process for the production of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate out of crushed trona ore, said process comprising:

• introducing crushed trona in a leaching tank containing a dissolution solution comprising sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, saturated or super-saturated in sodium bicarbonate;
• adding an additive selected from the group consisting of:
• phosphates, phospholipids, carboxylates, carboxylic acids, and combinations thereof to said dissolution solution;
• at least partially dissolving said crushed trona in said dissolution solution in order to produce solid particles and a production solution comprising sodium carbonate, said solid particles containing trona insoluble impurities and at least 65% by weight of sodium bicarbonate;
• separating said solid particles from said production solution comprising sodium carbonate;
• and
• taking at least a part of said production solution containing sodium carbonate out of said leaching tank in order to constitute a produced solution comprising sodium carbonate,
• wherein said solid particles, which are separated and optionally dried, comprise a particle size distribution, and are further selected to constitute two size distribution fractions, one of said two size distribution fractions comprising a higher content in said trona insoluble impurities than the entire particle size distribution, and wherein said size distribution fraction comprising a higher content in trona insoluble impurities is a sieved fraction of particle sizes greater than 355 microns or a sieved fraction of particle sizes less than 40 microns.