Introduction to Ammonia
Introduction to Ammonia
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Ammonia is a colorless gas that has a pungent smell. It is composed of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms. Ammonia can be found in various products and can be classified as both hazardous and useful product depending on the way one uses it. For example, ammonia comes in handy in agricultural field whereby fertilizers are produced, for purification of water supplies, as a refrigerant gas, manufacturing of plastics and so on. However, since ammonia is corrosive, it can severely affect the respiratory system when it is exposed to a longer period of time which may cause permanent damage to the body parts leading to blindness or severely.
Ammonia is also used in various metallurgical processes, including the nitriding of alloy sheets to harden their surfaces.
Pure ammonia was first prepared by English physical scientist Joseph Priestley in 1774, and its exact composition was determined by French chemist in 1785.
The commercial way of producing ammonia was using Haber-Bosch process involving nitrogen and hydrogen elements only.
N2 + 3H2 → 2NH3
In order to produce ammonia, using any process, requires the uses of catalyst, elevated temperature and high pressure. Normally, iron oxide is used as the catalyst. However, other metal oxides like magnesium oxides are being used as catalyst these days too.
Combustion of ammonia do occur but it is quite difficult. Combustion of ammonia produces nitrogen gas and water.
4NH3 + 3O2 + heat → 2N2 + 6H2O
when catalyst and a suitable temperature and pressure is used, ammonia that undergoes combustion by reacting with oxygen produces nitric oxide, which can be oxidized into nitric dioxide. Nitric dioxide can be used to produce nitric acid, which has tons of uses.
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