Nitrogen-Methods of Preparation of Nitrogen

Nitrogen covers about for fifth of the earth’s atmosphere; it was isolated and recognized as a specific substance during early investigations. A Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, was the first to discover it. Nitrogen ranks sixth in cosmic abundance among the elements. Many compounds contain nitrogen, like ammonia, oxides of nitrogen, nitric acid, etc. 

This gas is used for several domestic and industrial purposes. Several methods are available to prepare nitrogen from its compounds. Nitrogen commercially is produced from air, most commonly by partial distillation of liquid air. In the given process, the air is cooled to bring it to a lower temperature compared to the boiling points of its components.

The liquid air is allowed to warm up, allowing the lower point of boiling nitrogen in the mixture to evaporate. This article will tell you about the methods of nitrogen production and help you answer the question that is mainly asked, which is to give any two methods of preparation of nitrogen and help you delve deeper into this subject.

Preparation method of nitrogen

There are several methods of preparation of nitrogen. Commercially, it’s almost produced from air by fractional distillation of liquid air. Air is first cooled to a temperature below the boiling point of its components. Liquid air is then allowed to warm up. Nitrogen gas then escaping from the liquid is captured and liquified. Nitrogen is a nonmetal, lightest item of group 15 in the periodic table known as pnictogens. It is abundant on earth and in the universe; it is estimated to be seventh in abundance in the milky way and the solar system. For a long time, sources of nitrogen were limited. Biology or deposits of nitrates produced by atmospheric reactions are the only natural nitrogen sources.

There are several methods of preparation of nitrogen; for example, 

• nitrogen is produced when an aqueous solution, that is hot solution of ammonium nitrite, decomposes to give out elements of water and nitrogen. 

NH4+ + NO2-→ N2 + H2O

• The heating of barium or sodium azide gives free nitrogen.

2NaN3 → 2Na + 3N2

Ba(N3 )2→ Ba + 3N2

•   Flowing ammonia gas through metallic oxide that is hot, resulting in nitrogen, water, and metal creation.

2NH3 + 3CuO→ N2 + 3H2O + Cu

• Another example is the reaction between bromine and ammonia; this results in the product of ammonium bromide and nitrogen. 

8NH3 + 3Br2→ N2 + 6NH4+ + 6Br-

These are some examples of the methods of preparation of nitrogen, and the question of giving any two methods of preparation of nitrogen.

Properties of nitrogen

Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford first discovered nitrogen in 1772. It is a member of group 15 and is a nonmetal and the lightest member. It is one of the most common elements in the universe.

Nitrogen is a colourless and odourless gas, and it condenses at -195.8 0  C to a colourless liquid. Nitrogen exists as molecule N2, and it is represented as N:::N: The bond energy of 226 kilocalories per mole is surpassed only by carbon monoxide. Due to this high bond energy, the activation energy for the reaction of molecular nitrogen is high primarily; this causes nitrogen to be correspondingly inert to most reagents. The high stability of nitrogen molecules contributes to a great extent to the thermodynamic instability of several nitrogen compounds. Due to this, elemental nitrogen seems to hide the true reactive nature of its atoms effectively. Molecules of nitrogen can serve as ligands in complex coordination compounds. An atom of nitrogen has an electronic structure that is represented as 1s22s22p3. Atoms of nitrogen are relatively small in size and are high in electronegativity. Nitrogen atoms are very reactive species, combining with most other elements to form stable compounds.

Conclusion

Methods of preparation of nitrogen are discussed in this article, making your understanding more accessible and better. Nitrogen is a non-metallic element of the periodic table of group 15. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless gas; it is one of the most plentiful elements in the earth’s atmosphere and constituent of all living matter.

Nitrogen constitutes 75.51% of the atmosphere by weight. Free nitrogen is found in gases of volcanoes, in mines, in meteorites and some stars. It is also found in mineral deposits of saltpetre or nitre and chile saltpetre. Another material rich in nitrogen is guano, which is found in caves of bats. It is also found in soil and rain as ammonium salts and ammonia in seawater.