Ammonia

Ammonia Tank

Ammonia (NH3) is at ambient temperature and pressure a colourless gas with a very pungent odour. It must be transported and stored under pressure and/or at low temperature. Ammonia devolves in water under strong heat evolution. Normal concentration for aqueous ammonia is 25 %. Higher concentrations can be produced, but must be stored ant transported under pressure. Ammonia is produced by direct combination of hydrogen and nitrogen in presence of a catalyst.

More than 100 million tons of ammonia is produced per year. Ammonia is widely used in soil fertilisation, either in form of nitrates (via nitric acid) or as free ammonia. The most important technical application of ammonia is in production of polymer building blocks. Ammonia is also used as nitrogen source in fermentation (amino acids, yeast and single cell proteins). Substantial volumes of ammonia are used in production of acrylic fibers, nylon-6, nylon-66 and amines which have numerous technical end uses.