What Is Ammonia?
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H). It is characterized by a strong pungent odor.
In nature, ammonia is present in trace amounts in the atmosphere and in small amounts in natural water. It is also present in soil as nitrogen organic matter contained in fertilizers (including ammonia), animal and plant remains, etc., which are decomposed into Ammonia nitrogen by decomposing organisms.
Industrial production of ammonia is generally based on the Haber-Bosch process, in which nitrogen and hydrogen are reacted on a catalyst in a pressurized, high-temperature environment.
Ammonia is stable as a gas at room temperature and pressure.
Uses of Ammonia
1. Fertilizer
The most common use of ammonia are as chemical fertilizer.
About 80% of ammonia produced in the world is consumed as fertilizer. The remaining 20% is used for industrial purposes as a basic material for chemical products.
2. Fuel ammonia
In recent years, research into the use of ammonia as fuel energy has been attracting attention as one of the new approaches to combating global warming. This is because ammonia is a carbon-free substance that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned. Currently, technological development is underway for “thermal co-firing,” in which ammonia are mixed with coal-fired power generation boilers and burned.
3. Energy carrier
Hydrogen is increasingly being used as an energy source to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Hydrogen, which is difficult to transport in large quantities, is converted into another material, which is called a “hydrogen carrier“. It is said that ammonia (NH3) containing molecular hydrogen (H) may be useful as a transport medium.
Existing technology for the transport of ammonia are well established, since ammonia are imported and exported worldwide, mainly for fertilizer applications, as described above. After transportation, ammonia can be converted back to hydrogen by thermal decomposition in the presence of a catalyst and used in fuel cells and other applications, or it can be used as fuel in its ammonia form.