Fertilisers
In order to eat, we need to grow food! With our expanding population and increasing requirements of crops, the aid of fertilisers has greatly increased the yields from farms across the world.
Fertilisers restore elements to the soil that are essential for plant growth. The three elements used in fertilisers that you need to remember are: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.
Ammonia and the Haber Process
Ammonia and Nitric acid contain Nitrogen, and they can be used to produce soluble, Nitrogen-containing salts. These Nitrogen-containing salts are great in fertilisers.
Ammonia is a colourless gas with a pungent smell.
Ammonia can be dissolved in water to make an alkaline solution.
Ammonia, when reacted with acids, produces a soluble ammonium salt and water.
The Haber Process, created by Fritz Haber, is used to create Ammonia.
An iron catalyst is used in this process. If the temperature during the process is too low, the process is not economical, and if the temperature is too high, the backward reaction is more dominant. So, you want the temperature to be correct so that you get more products than reactants.
Fritz Haber has a very complex and interesting past. He did pioneer the Haber Process which is vital in food production, however, he is also known as the “father of chemical warfare,” as he weaponised chlorine gas for World War I.
Ostwald Process
The Ostwald Process, created by Wilhem Ostwald, is used to create Nitric Acid.
The process uses ammonia, water and oxygen to produce Nitric acid.
The catalyst for this process is Platinum.
Key Points!
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Fertilisers
Fertilisers restore elements to the soil that are essential for plant growth. The three elements used in fertilisers that you need to remember are: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.
Ammonia and Nitric acid contain Nitrogen, and they can be used to produce soluble, Nitrogen-containing salts. These Nitrogen-containing salts are great in fertilisers.
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Haber Process
Ammonia is a colourless gas with a pungent smell.
Ammonia can be dissolved in water to make an alkaline solution.
Ammonia, when reacted with acids, produces a soluble ammonium salt and water.
The Haber Process is used to create Ammonia.
An iron catalyst is used in this process.
-
Ostwald Process
The Ostwald Process is used to create Nitric Acid.
The process uses ammonia, water and oxygen to produce Nitric acid.
The catalyst for this process is Platinum.