The ammonium chloride, also known as ammonia salt, it is an inorganic salt found in urine whose formula is NH4Cl. It is found in mineralogical formations and in this form is called ammonia salt. It has also been found in some volcanic vents and ash.
It can be obtained by various methods. The first is through neutralization with HCl of the ammonia residue formed in the distillation of coal: NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl.
The second strategy is through the Solvay process to obtain sodium carbonate (or bicarbonate) and where ammonium chloride is produced as a by-product:
NH3 + COtwo + NaCl + HtwoO → NH4Cl + NaHCO3
In the Solvay process, the sodium bicarbonate is recovered by filtration and then the ammonium chloride that remains in solution crystallizes (Ammonium Chloride Formula, S.F.).
More than 230,000 tons of ammonium chloride are produced annually in Japan, where it is used mainly for fertilizers in rice cultivation..
However, odorless salt has many other applications including use in the manufacture of personal cleaning products, pyrotechnics, as a component in the metallurgical industry, medicine, as a flavoring in the food industry, and as an electrolyte in zinc batteries. -carbon (The Chemical Company, 2016).
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Ammonium chloride are finely divided and odorless hygroscopic white particles (National Center for Biotechnology Information., 2017).
The compound has a triclinic lattice structure with a center-centered cubic structure. Its molecular weight is 53.490 g / mol, its density is 1.5274 g / mL, and its melting and boiling points are 338 ºC and 520 ºC..
Ammonium chloride is soluble in water, being able to dissolve 383.0 g of compound 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:
NH4Cl → NH3 + HCl
Additionally, it can react with bases such as sodium or potassium hydroxide to also produce ammonia gas:
NH4Cl + NaOH → NH3 + NaCl + HtwoOR
Another important reaction in which ammonia chloride is used is the decomposition of carbonates and bicarbonates, forming a salt and ammonia:
2NH4Cl + NatwoCO3 → 2NaCl + COtwo + HtwoO + 2NH3
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 like 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).
Ammonium chloride is extremely poisonous and toxic. They cause organ damage by ingestion or long-term exposure and are also harmful to the 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 the eyes, check whether you are wearing contact lenses and remove them immediately. Eyes should be flushed with running water for at least 15 minutes, keeping the 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, the contaminated skin is gently washed 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 the contact with the skin is severe, it should be washed with a disinfectant soap and cover the contaminated skin with an antibacterial cream..
In case of inhalation, the victim should be allowed to rest in a well-ventilated area. If inhalation is severe, the victim should be evacuated to a safe area as soon as possible. Loosen tight clothing such as a shirt collar, belt, or tie.
If the victim finds it difficult to breathe, oxygen should be administered. If the victim is not breathing, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is performed. Always keeping in mind that it may be dangerous for the person providing aid to 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 victim is not breathing, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
In all cases, immediate medical attention should be sought (Material Safety Data Sheet Ammonium chloride, 2013).
Ammonium chloride has a very important biochemical function: it maintains the physiological pH.
As an acidic salt, it can help to correct situations in which the plasma concentration of chloride ions is low or in cases of alkalosis in the blood (high blood pH). This can occur after vomiting, suction (removal) of stomach contents, use of diuretics (water or fluid pills), or with certain stomach diseases..
Ammonium chloride also causes the elimination 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 bloating or weight gain that occurs before menstrual periods and as an aid in treating urinary tract infections (University of Utah, 2017).
It is a component of many cold and cough medications due to its effectiveness as an expectorant. In veterinary medicine it is used to prevent urinary stones in goats, cattle and sheep (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016).
Ammonium chloride is used mainly as a source of nitrogen in fertilizers (which corresponds to 90% of the global production of the compound), such as chloroammonium phosphate, mainly for rice and wheat crops in Asia.
Ammonium chloride is used as a flux in preparing metals to be tin-coated, galvanized, or welded. Works as a flux by cleaning the surface of workpieces by reacting with 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 soldering iron, and can be included in the solder as a flux..
Ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, is a component of dry cell batteries, energy reservoirs that power electrical devices. Batteries allow you to use electricity when you are not near an electrical outlet or outlet.
There are three main components to each battery: a cathode (the top part of your everyday AA battery, from which electrons flow), an anode (the bottom part of the AA battery, which electrons flow into), and an electrolyte a through which electrons and ions can move.
When ammonium chloride is used as the electrolyte in a battery, it turns into a watery paste and is placed between the cathode and the anode.
Chemical reactions between battery cathodes and anodes cause electrons to flow through the ammonium chloride paste, away from the cathode and toward the anode..
Electrons pass through metal contacts in the battery compartment making electrical equipment work (American Chemistry Council, Inc, 2005).
In several countries, ammonium chloride, under the name of ammonia salt or colloquially salmiakki, is used as a food additive under the number E E510, usually as a yeast nutrient in the production of bread..
It is a dietary supplement for cattle and an ingredient in nutrient media for yeasts and many microorganisms..
Ammonium chloride is used to flavor dark sweets called salty licorice (very popular in the Nordic countries), in baking to give cookies a very crunchy texture, and in Salmiakki Koskenkorva liqueur to flavor.
In India and Pakistan, it is called "Noshader" and is used to enhance the freshness of snacks such as samosas and jalebi..
Ammonium chloride can be found in shampoo, hair dyes and bleach, body wash and cleanser, facial cleanser, conditioner, dish soap, as well as bath oils and salts..
Ammonium chloride is also used in etching in the manufacture of printed circuits, as a fire extinguisher. It is also an ingredient in fireworks, explosives, and matches and as a curing agent in formaldehyde-based adhesives..
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