Hello, Can someone please help me. I've been searching on google to find out how ammonia is made but I can;t find anything I know that teh gas is natural but it says nothing about the liquid. Thanks Adam.
( Sorry if it's in the wrong forum )

Ammonia is made from elemental hydrogen and nitrogen at several hundred degrees and one hundred atmospheres of pressure(1 atm is 14.7psi). This is done over an iron (or other ) catalyst. It is an extremely inefficient and energy intensive process, and it only yields around 15%. But it is the only way we can chemically fix nitrogen. The process is called the Haber process.

Nitrogenous bacteria living in the root nodules of plants do the same reaction at 15 degrees and 1 atmosphere. Makes our technology look quite pitiful doesn't it? Biotechnology is where it's at.

Hey thanks alot. You wouldn't beleive how hard I've tried looking for that infomation!
Adam.

Look up Haber Process. It is discussed in just about every chemeistry textbook. The catylist is Iron Oxide with certian impurities, I forget what. A more effective catylist is uranium, though it isn't used anymore. Anytime nitorgen and hydrogen are present in the same system ammonia will be formed. However, a higher percentage will be formed under certian temperature and pressure conditions. If memory serves me it is at about 200� C and 1000 atmospheres. I have the book buried in the basement somewhere and can't be bothered to dig it up at the moment.

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Originally posted by fatesgift:
Hello, Can someone please help me. I've been searching on google to find out how ammonia is made but I can;t find anything I know that teh gas is natural but it says nothing about the liquid. Thanks Adam.
( Sorry if it's in the wrong forum )

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Well it so hppens I am looking at catalytic reactions for a possible project, the harber process uses not just iorn but a very specific oxide Fe3O4 vs the more common Fe2O3, which by the way is a no no as a impurity to the catylist the right "impurities" in catylist terms they are promoters, things that aid or promote the desired result, are aluminum oxide and some potassium, 3% each wouldbe a good qty to start with, K is in form of KOH ,aluminum oxide for the aluminum portion (% by weight).
The materials are placed in a sutible crucible (remember purity of product) and fused (melt the s - - - out of it at 1600 Deg, cant remember C or F) when all melted and temp is stable this mix is rapidly poured onto a thick cold (active cooling, think ln2) and the needed structure forms.
this resulting material is crumbled up and placed into the vessel that will be the reactor. the cat. needs to be activated before it will work, heat to 4 hundred deg under a hydrogen atmos. at 200-300psi for 4 to 6 hours, H2 pressure in vessel will drop periodically as activation happens, replace hydrogen absorbed(?) by caty. to maintain pressure.
Once this is done its ready to use , remember c, co, co2, h2o, sulferous compounds etc are "poison " to caty.
Have fun

to make the liquid (ammonium hydroxide) dont they just bubble ammonia gas through water?

that is true unstable.

Lol i thought you said thats too unstable...


Its 500atm and 450* C,

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