He ammonium chloride , Also known as ammoniacal salt, is an inorganic salt found in urine whose formula is NH 4 Cl.
Ammonium chloride is found in mineralogical formations and in this form is called ammonia salt. It has also been found in some volcanic vents and ashes.
Figure 1: structure of ammonium chloride.
Ammonium chloride can be obtained by various methods. The first is through the neutralization with HCl of the ammoniacal residue formed in the distillation of the coal:
NH 3 + HCl → NH 4 Cl
The second strategy is through Solvay process To obtain sodium carbonate (or bicarbonate) and where the ammonium chloride is produced as a by-product:
NH 3 + CO 2 + NaCl + H 2 O → NH 4 Cl + NaHCO 3
In the Solvay process, the sodium bicarbonate is recovered by filtration and then the ammonium chloride remaining in solution crystallizes (Ammonium Chloride Formula, S.F.).
More than 230,000 tons of ammonium chloride are produced annually in Japan, where it is mainly used for fertilizers in rice cultivation.
However, odorless salt has many other applications which include the use in the manufacture of personal cleansing products, pyrotechnics, as a component in the metallurgical industry, medicine, as a flavoring in the food industry and as electrolyte in zinc batteries (The Chemical Company, 2016).
Physical and chemical properties of ammonium chloride
Ammonium Chloride are hygroscopic, finely divided, odorless white particles (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017).
Figure 2: appearance of ammonium chloride.
The compound has a triclinic lattice structure with cubic structure centered in the center. Its molecular weight is 53.490 g / mol, its density is 1.5274 g / mL and the melting and boiling points are 338 ° C and 520 ° C.
The ammonium chloride is soluble in water, whereby 383.0 g of compound can be dissolved per liter of solvent. It is also soluble in ethanol, methanol and glycerol and slightly soluble in acetone. It is insoluble in organic solvents such as ethyl acetate (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015).
Ammonium chloride can undergo different reactions of great value for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. May decompose when heated in hydrochloric acid and ammonia:
NH 4 Cl → NH 3 + HCl
Additionally, it can react with bases such as Sodium hydroxide Or potassium to also produce ammonia gas:
NH 4 Cl + NaOH → NH 3 + NaCl + H 2 OR
Another important reaction in which ammonia chloride is used is the decomposition of carbonates and bicarbonates, forming a salt and ammonia:
2NH 4 Cl + Na 2 CO 3 → 2NaCl + CO 2 + H 2 O + 2NH 3
Ammonium chloride is considered an acidic salt. The resulting solutions contain moderate concentrations of hydronium ions and have a pH below 7.0. They react as acids to neutralize bases.
They generally do not react as oxidizing agents or reducing agents, but such behavior is not impossible. Many of these compounds catalyze organic reactions (Ammonium chloride, 2016).
Reactivity and hazards
Ammonium chloride is extremely poisonous and toxic. Causes damage to organs by ingestion or long-term exposure and is also harmful to eyes. It is not flammable and does not react with other chemicals (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2014).
In case of contact with eyes, check for wearing contact lenses and remove them immediately. Flush eyes with running water for at least 15 minutes, keeping eyelids open. Cold water can be used. Eye ointment should not be used.
If the chemical comes into contact with clothing, remove it as quickly as possible, protecting your own hands and body.
Place the victim under a safety shower. If the chemical accumulates on the victim's exposed skin, such as hands, gently wash contaminated skin with running water and non-abrasive soap. Cold water can be used. If irritation persists, seek medical attention. Wash the contaminated clothing before using it again.
If contact with the skin is severe, it should be washed with a disinfectant soap and cover the skin contaminated with an anti-bacterial cream.
In case of inhalation, the victim should be allowed to stand in a well-ventilated area. If the inhalation is severe, the victim should be evacuated to a safe area as soon as possible. Loosen tight clothing such as a shirt collar, belts, or tie.
If it is difficult for the victim to breathe, oxygen should be administered. If the victim is not breathing, a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is performed. Always taking into account that it can be dangerous for the person providing help give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when the inhaled material is toxic, infectious or corrosive.
If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Loosen tight clothing such as shirt collars, belts or ties. If the victim is not breathing, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
In all cases seek immediate medical attention (Material Safety Data Sheet Ammonium chloride, 2013).
Applications
1- Medicine
Ammonium chloride has a very important biochemical function: it maintains the physiological pH.
As an acid salt, it may help correct conditions in which the chloride concentration of chloride ions is low or in cases of alkalosis in blood (high blood pH). This can occur after vomiting, suctioning (extraction) of the stomach contents, use of diuretics (water or fluid tablets) or with certain stomach diseases.
Ammonium chloride also cause the removal of excess salts and water through increased urination and causes acidosis in the urine (makes it more acidic).
Ammonium chloride has also been used to reduce the swelling or weight gain that occurs before menstrual periods and as an aid to treat urinary tract infections (University of Utah, 2017).
It is a component of many cold and cough medicines because of its effectiveness as an expectorant. In veterinary medicine it is used to prevent urinary stones in goats, cattle and sheep (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016).
2- Fertilizer
Ammonium chloride is mainly used as a source of nitrogen in fertilizers (corresponding to 90% of the world's production of the compound), such as chlorammonium phosphate, mainly for rice and wheat crops in Asia.
Metallurgy
Ammonium chloride is used as a flux in the preparation of metals to be coated with tin, galvanized or welded. It works as a flux by cleaning the surface of the workpieces by reacting with the metal oxides on the surface to form a volatile metal chloride.
For this, it is sold in blocks in hardware stores for use in cleaning the tip of a welder, and can be included in the welding as flux.
4- Battery component
Ammonium chloride, NH 4 Cl, is a component of dry cell batteries, power tanks that power electrical devices. Batteries allow you to use electricity when you are not near an electrical outlet or an electrical outlet.
There are three main components for each battery: a cathode (the top of your everyday AA battery, from which electrons flow), an anode (the bottom of the AA battery, towards which electrons flow) and an electrolyte Through which electrons and ions can move.
When ammonium chloride is used as electrolyte in a battery, it is converted into an aqueous paste and placed between the cathode and the anode.
The chemical reactions between the battery cathodes and the anodes cause the electrons to flow through the ammonium chloride paste, away from the cathode and towards the anode.
Electrons pass through the metal contacts in the battery compartment making electrical equipment work (American Chemistry Council, Inc, 2005).
5- Food
In several countries, ammonium chloride, under the name ammonium salt or colloquially salmiakki, is used as a food additive under the number E E510, usually as a yeast nutrient in bread production.
It is a nutritional supplement for cattle and an ingredient in nutritional media for yeasts and many microorganisms.
Ammonium chloride is used to season dark candies called salty licorice (very popular in the Nordic countries), baking to give biscuits a very crisp texture, and in Salmiakki Koskenkorva liqueur to aromatize.
In India and Pakistan, it is called"Noshader"and is used to improve the freshness of snacks such as samosas and jalebi.
6- Other uses
Ammonium Chloride can be found in shampoo, hair dyes and bleach, body wash and cleanser, facial cleanser, conditioner, dishwasher detergent, as well as in bath oils and salts.
Ammonium chloride is also used in engraving in the manufacture of printed circuit boards, such as a fire extinguisher. It is also an ingredient in fireworks, explosives and phosphors and as a curing agent in formaldehyde-based adhesives.
References
- American Chemistry Council, Inc. (2005, May). Ammonium Chloride: Helping to Provide Portable Electricity. Retrieved from americanchemistry: americanchemistry.com.
- Ammonium chloride . (2016). Retrieved from CAMEO Chemicals: cameochemicals.noaa.gov.
- Ammonium Chloride Formula . (S.F.). Recovered from softschools: softschools.com.
- EMBL-EBI. (2016, February 29). Ammonium chloride . Retrieved from ChEBI: ebi.ac.uk.
- Encyclopædia Britannica. (2016, April 13). Ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl). Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica: britannica.com.
- Material Safety Data Sheet Ammonium chloride. (2013, May 21). Recovered desciencelab: sciencelab.com.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2017, April 22). PubChem Compound Database; CID = 25517 . Recovered from PubChem: pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Royal Society of Chemistry. (2015). Ammonium chloride . Recovered from chemspider: chemspider.com.
- The Chemical Company. (2016). Ammonium Chloride . Retrieved from thechemco: thechemco.com.
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2014, July 1). AMMONIUM CHLORIDE . Retrieved from cdc.gov.
- University of Utah. (2017). Ammonium Chloride enteric-coated tablets. Retrieved from www.healthcare.utah.edu.