Ammonia, composed of three parts hydrogen and one part nitrogen, is a sharp-smelling, flammable, and toxic gas that is very soluble in water, where it acts as a base in its chemical reactions.
Ammonia was present in the primordial atmosphere of Earth, and may have been the source of nitrogen for the earliest forms of life, although much controversy exists over the details. In ancient Egypt, ammonium compounds were used in rites honoring the god Ammon, from which came the name we still use for the gas and its compounds. Early chemists learned to generate ammonia from animal parts such as…
Ammonia (boiling point -28.03°F [-33.35°C]) can be made in the laboratory by heating ammonium chloride with lime, and the gas collected by downward displacement of air, or displacement of mercury. Water solutions of ammonia, called ammonium hydroxides, having as much as 28% ammonia by weight, can be obtained by this method. Ammonium hydroxide exhibits the characteristics of a weak ba…
Ammonia is manufactured by the reaction of hydrogen with nitrogen in the presence of an iron catalyst, which is known as the Haber-Bosch process. The reaction is exothermic and is accompanied by a concentration in volume. (The ammonia occupies less volume than the gases from which it is made.) High pressure conditions (150-250 bar) are used, and temperatures range from 752–932°F (400…
The largest use of ammonia is in fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and help provide increased yields of crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans. Liquid ammonia, ammonia/water solutions, and chemicals made from ammonia, such as ammonium salts and urea, are all used as sources of soluble nitrogen. Urea, which is made from ammonia and carbon dioxide, can also be used as a feed supplement for…
Ammonia will continue to be important for agriculture and for the whole nitrogen chemicals industry. As countries in Asia and Latin America develop high standards of living and stronger economies, they will begin to need their own ammonia plants. For this reason, capacity and production will continue to grow. New uses may develop, particularly for ammonia as a relatively inexpensive base with uniq…
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