Why It's Important to Understand Ammonia as a Raw Material for Fertilizer

Ammonia is a chemical compound found naturally in the environment and also in our bodies. An ammonia molecule is made up of 1 nitrogen atom and 3 hydrogen atoms, all of which are bonded to the N atom. The chemical formula of ammonia is NH3. It is usually a gas with a distinctive, pungent smell.

Ammonia is used as a raw material in the chemical industry. For example, the ammonia produced by PT Pupuk Kaltim is sold in liquid form at -33 degrees Celsius, with a minimum purity of 99.5% and a maximum water impurity of 0.5%. Ammonia is made from natural gas, which is reacted with air and steam at high temperature and pressure in stages through several reactors containing catalysts.

How Ammonia Is Made
So how is ammonia produced, both in nature and in factories? Ammonia can come from the decay of nitrogen-containing animal and plant matter. According to Adalah.co.id, small amounts of ammonia and ammonium salts can also be found in rainwater. Ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride, or ammonium salts, are found in volcanic areas.

Ammonium bicarbonate crystals have been found in Patagonian guano. The kidneys excrete NH3 so that excess acid can be neutralized. Ammonium salts are also found spread through fertile soil and seawater. Small amounts of ammonia have also been found on Jupiter, Pluto, and Uranus.

Several factories owned by subsidiaries of PT Pupuk Indonesia use ammonia as an ingredient in the many fertilizers made by its 6 subsidiaries. Ammonia plays a major role in making inorganic fertilizers, whether they are sold with a government subsidy or commercially without one.

Ammonia Reactions
Ammonia reacts with carbon dioxide, and this reaction is what produces urea. When ammonia is heated to 200°C together with carbon dioxide gas at a certain pressure (80–200 atm), it produces urea according to the reaction 2NH3 + CO2 → NH2CONH2 + H2O.

Ammonia can also react with chlorine. When ammonia reacts with a limited amount of chlorine, it can produce ammonium chloride. When it reacts with excess chlorine, it can produce nitrogen trichloride. Here are the reactions:
8NH3 + 3Cl2 (limited) → 6NH4Cl + N2
NH3 + 3Cl2 (excess) → NCl3 + 3HCl

Properties of Ammonia
Here are some of the characteristics of ammonia:
Ammonia is a colorless gas with a very strong smell.
Ammonia dissolves easily in water. Under normal conditions, 1 liter of water can dissolve 1,180 liters of ammonia.
Ammonia liquefies easily. Liquid ammonia freezes at -78 degrees Celsius and boils at 33 degrees Celsius.
Ammonia corrodes copper and tin, and it is flammable.
Ammonia is commonly used in beauty products, for example as an ingredient in hair dyes that smooth the hair.

Benefits of Ammonia Fertilizer
Even though most people dislike its strong, foul smell, ammonia has many important uses. For example, it dissolves very easily in water to form a solution, so it is widely used as a cleaning agent for both cookware and household items. Ammonia is a key ingredient in the production of rayon and urea.

It is also used to make fertilizers such as urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and others. In the furniture industry, ammonia is used as a furniture cleaner and a glass surface cleaner. It can also be used as a raw material for making nitric acid through the Ostwald process. The Solvay process needs ammonia to produce sodium carbonate.

Uses of Ammonia Gas in Daily Life
Ammonia gas has important uses and roles in everyday life, especially as industry keeps growing. It is produced on a massive scale. Some of its uses are:

1. As an ingredient in the fertilizer industry to make urea (CO(NH2)2) and ZA ((NH)2SO4) fertilizers
2. Ammonia gas is used as a raw material in the battery industry to make ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), and to make citric acid (HNO3) through the Ostwald process.
3. Ammonia gas is used as a refrigerant in refrigerators and freezers.
4. Ammonia gas is used to make hydrazine (N2H4) for rocket fuel and explosives.

Some plastic industries also use ammonia gas as a raw material. The plastics used today for many purposes are made of polyethylene and phenol.

Because ammonia gas dissolves in water, it is purified into a 5 to 10% ammonia solution. This solution is used as a cleaner for the home, furniture, and glass.

The metalworking industry also uses ammonia gas. Ammonia is used to extract and separate copper, nickel, and molybdenum from ore.

In the oil industry, ammonia is used not only as an ingredient in rocket fuel but also to prevent corrosion where machinery comes into contact with fuel.