Brainlag PlusMaking ammonia, why the conditions are a compromise, recycling unreacted gases, NPK fertilisers and the percentage of a nutrient in a fertiliser.
Making ammonia
nitrogen + hydrogen ⇌ ammonia
N₂ + 3H₂ ⇌ 2NH₃ (forward reaction exothermic)
- Raw materials: nitrogen from the air; hydrogen usually from natural gas.
- The purified gases pass over an iron catalyst at about 450 °C and 200 atmospheres.
- The reaction is reversible, so only some of the gases react. On cooling, ammonia liquefies and is removed; the unreacted nitrogen and hydrogen are recycled.
The rest of this lesson and its 10 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 10 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- The Molar Mass Calculator beside every question
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards