A Short Note on Preparation and Properties of Ammonia and Nitric Acid

Ammonia is a colourless, odourless gas that is made up of hydrogen and nitrogen. It’s a simple and stable compound of both of these elements that can be used to make a variety of nitrogen compounds. It’s also one of the most prevalent hydrides found in the atmosphere. The majority of ammonia in the atmosphere is produced by bacterial breakdown of nitrogen-rich components from plants and animals. We will learn about properties of Ammonia,  nitric acid .

The IUPAC term for ammonia is azane. Ammonia is found everywhere around us, and we are all exposed to a low level of it in our daily activities. We will see various aspects of the topic now . 

Preparation of Ammonia

Are you eager to know about the preparation of Azane/Ammonia? Small quantities of ammonia are present in soil and air due to the decay of organic matter which are nitrogenous in nature.

2NH₄Cl  +  Ca(OH)₂ → 2NH₃ +  2H₂O +  CaCl₂

Haber’s process is used for large scale production. Steps involved in Haber’s process are:

N₂ (g) + 3H₂ (g) ↔ 2NH₃ (g)

• Nitrogen and hydrogen are used as raw materials for the reaction. Scrubbing is also an important factor here.
• The gases are infused together and  then processed through a compressor. Then the mixture is compressed at a minimum  pressure of 200 atm.
• The compressed gases are then passed through a converter, where the gases are heated at temperature 450°C and pressure at 200 atm. 

Properties of Ammonia

The Properties Of Ammonia are given as follows-

• Azane is a gas which is colourless in nature and has a pungent smell.
• The gas is easily dissolved . The aqueous solution of NH₃is a weak base has OH- ions are formed.

NH₃+H₂0       →     NH₄⁺+OH^–

• Ammonium salts are formed when it reacts with an acid.

ZnSO₄+2NH₄OH (g)     →      Zn(OH)₂+(NH₄)₂SO₄

Uses of Ammonia

• Ammonia is utilised as a refrigerant because of its properties in its aqueous state.
• It is used in the production of urea.
• Urea is a good nitrogen fertiliser.
• Because of its cleaning characteristics, azane can be used to remove oil.

Nitric Acid

Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald at the start of the 20th century developed a process in which ammonia was used to obtain nitric acid. Due to the development of nitric acid, it helped the Germans during the World War to make explosives without importing it from other countries like Chile. Chemical formula of nitric acid is HNO₃.

Preparation of Nitric Acid

For small scale preparation this gas is made by heating concentrated sulphuric acid along with NaNO₃ or KNO₃

NaNO₃+H₂SO₄    →        NaHSO₄+HNO₃

For large scale preparations Ostwald process is used.

In this process, NH₃ undergoes catalytic oxidation by oxygen which is present in the atmosphere in the presence of Pt/Rh as a catalyst at 500 K and a pressure of 9 bars.

4NH₃+5O₂     →     4NO(g)+6H₂O

Nitric oxide which is obtained is then made to react with oxygen to form NO₂.

2NO+O₂  →    2NO₂(g)

NO₂ formed is dissolved in H₂O to form HNO₃

3NO₂ (g)+H₂O(l)    →    2HNO₃(aq)+NO(g)

Properties of Nitric Acid

• It is colourless in nature.
• The boiling point of the liquid is 84.1°C and it freezes at -41.55 °C to form a white solid.
• It acts as a strong acid which dissociates to form nitrate ions and hydronium.

HNO₃ (aq) +H₂O (l)     →    H₃O⁺(aq)+NO₃^–(aq)

• HNO₃in its concentrated state acts a strong oxidising state

Cu+4HNO₃   →  Cu(NO₃)₂+ 2NO₂+2H₂O

Uses of Nitric Acid

• The main use of nitric acid is in preparation of fertilisers.
• It is used in manufacturing several types of polymers like polyamides and polyurethane.
• Nitric Acid is also used mostly for the purification of precious metals like platinum, gold, and silver.
• Diluted nitric acid is used in wood works to fabricate maple and pine wood and make them look aged.

Conclusion 

Nitric acid is a kind of nitric acid (HNO₃). A colourless liquid used to make inorganic and organic nitrates and nitro compounds utilised in fertilisers, dye intermediates, explosives, and a variety of organic chemicals. Continuous vapour exposure can lead to chronic bronchitis and chemical pneumonitis.