Ammonia Flashcards
What are reversible reactions?
A reaction that can go forward and backward at the same time
What is the chemical equation of ammonia?
N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇌ 2NH3(g)
How is nitrogen obtained?
fractional distillation of liquid air
How is hydrogen obtained?
cracking of petroleum
What are the conditions for Haber process?
250 atm
450C
presence of iron catalyst
Why is 250 atm used?
the higher the pressure, the higher the yield of ammonia
however, maintaining high pressure is costly
Why is 450C used?
the lower the temperature, the higher the yield of ammonia
however, lower temperature results in a slower rate of reaction
Why is catalyst used?
to speed up reaction
How is ammonia produced by the Haber process?
nitrogen and hydrogen mixed by proportion 1:3
mixture of gases compressed to 250atm
gases heated to 450C and passed over finely divided iron
mixture of nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia is obtained
mixture is cooled
ammonia gas condense to form liquid ammonia
unreacted nitrogen and hydrogen pumped back to convertor for further reaction
Is this reaction exothermic or endothermic?
exothermic
How much % of nitrogen and hydrogen is converted to ammonia?
10-15%
