Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
INORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
catalyst
H
2
+
N
2
NH
3
Ammonia
O
2
NH
3
HNO
3
Nitric acid
NH
3
+
HNO
3
NH
4
NO
3
Ammonium nitrate (fertilizer)
NH
3
+
CO
2
NH
2
CONH
2
Urea (fertilizer)
NH
3
+
H
2
SO
4
(
NH
4
)
2
SO
4
Ammonium sulfate (fertilizer)
Source of hydrogen
H
2
O
CH
natural
gas
+
H
2
O
water
CO +
synthesis
H
2
CO
carbon
dioxide
+
H
2
hydrogen
4
2
gas
These equations show how nitrogen from the air ends up in so many other
chemical products. It would be hard to imagine what the world would be
like if no one had discovered how to convert nitrogen from the air to usable
chemicals.
The hydrogen for reaction with nitrogen in the air is obtained by reacting
methane (from natural gas found in underground deposits) with water, as
shown in the above equation.
