History of Ammonia

Ammonia"s role in agriculture and industry is crucial. "

Although ammonia was not known as a distinct compound, it has been used by humans since ancient times. People encountered ammonia in various forms, such as the vapor from animal waste and decomposing organic matter. They were aware of its pungent odor and irritant properties. During the alchemical period, which spanned from ancient times to the Middle Ages, ammonia-like substances were studied. Alchemists referred to these substances as \"spirits of hartshorn\" or \"volatile alkali.\" They were obtained by heating nitrogen-containing substances like animal horns, hooves, and urine. However, ammonia itself was not isolated as a pure compound during this period.

The isolation of ammonia as a distinct compound occurred in the 18th century. In 1774, Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele obtained a colorless gas by heating sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) with an alkali. He referred to the gas as \"alkaline air.\" Scheele recognized its distinct properties, including its ability to dissolve in water and produce an alkaline solution. The gas obtained by Scheele was further studied by other scientists, including English chemist Joseph Priestley and French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet. In 1782, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier named the gas \"ammonia\" after the Egyptian deity Amun, since it was commonly found in animal waste and was associated with the strong smell of urine.

Following the development of the Haber-Bosch process, ammonia production rapidly expanded. Ammonia became a key component in the production of nitrogen-based fertilizers, contributing to increased agricultural yields and food production. Additionally, ammonia found applications in various industries, including chemicals, refrigeration, cleaning products, and more.

The ancient Romans used ammonium chloride as money and deposits. They collected ammonium ore from a place called the Temple of Jupiter, or New Libya. But ammonia in the form of ammonia salt was first known by Jabir Ibn Hayyan in the 8th century. Ammonia is one of the largest synthetic products first obtained by Priestley in 1773 from heating chlorine and ammonium with lime. Later, in 1784, Bertolt discovered further research into the chemical formula and properties of ammonia. There are several methods for producing ammonia. In China, for example, ammonia is produced from coal, but it can be said that in most countries of the world, natural gas is considered as feed for ammonia units.

In 1900, Fritz Hobber investigated the ammonia balance at atmospheric pressure and obtained very low concentrations of ammonia (0.012%) at about 1000 ° C. Apart from Haber, Ostward and Nernst also studied the problems of ammonia synthesis separately and more closely; But a number of mistakes occurred during the research process. Ostward, for example, rejected the use of iron as a previously recorded ammonia synthesis catalyst due to an error in the experiment. Haber measurements at different atmospheric pressures indicated that higher pressures should be applied.

The industrial production of ammonia began in the 19th century. In 1823, British chemist Sir Humphry Davy developed a method to produce ammonia by passing an electric current through a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen gases. However, this process was not efficient for large-scale production. The breakthrough in large-scale ammonia production came with the development of the Haber-Bosch process. In the early 20th century, German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed a catalytic process to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen gases under high pressure and temperature. This process, patented in 1910, revolutionized ammonia production and made it economically viable for industrial use.