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Features
of ammonia industry (2)
In most cases, production
and consumption of ammonia are within the same plantsite.
In foreign countries, most ammonia is used for fertilizer production
such as urea and ammonium phosphate. However, under great development
of chemical industry in Japan, various kinds of chemical products are
efficiently produced within the same plant.
By using various
kinds of raw materials, we do our best to maintain stable supply and
save resources.
Ammonia industry
depends on materials from foreign countries as is the case with the
other basic materials industries. However, as ammonia is the basis for
many kinds of chemical products in Japan, we diversify materials from
foreign countries and make efficient use of by-product off-gas from
oil finery and other industries to maintain stable supply.
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Ammonia
and its derived products
Most of products
derived from ammonia are chemical products which have nothing to do
with our daily life. However, some of products are controlled by law
as they are specified as high-pressure gas, hazardous materials or deleterious
substance. The Japan Fertilizer & Ammonia Producers Association
has created MSDS written about handling and storing those products and
guideline for a warning label on containers to prevent an accident.
Ammonium
Sulphate
Ordinary ammonium
sulphate is crystal or powdery form in white, whereas colorless crystal
ammonia sulphate and colored ammonia sulphate are also available. Ammonia
sulphate is mainly used for chemical fertilizer such as solo ingredient
of nitrogen fertilizer and ingredient of mixed fertilizer. Japan is
one of the world's leading ammonia sulphate exporters and in its main
market, Southeast Asia, there being lack of sulphur in soil, fertilizer
containing sulphur is highly appreciated because it prevents crops from
becoming poor quality. In the past, ammonia and sulphuric acid were
synthesized directly. Nowadays ammonium sulphate is produced together
with caprolactam. Ammonium sulphate is also used for industrial purpose
such as cellophane, tanning leather, culture of yeast and food additives.
Urea
Ammonia and carbon
dioxide(Co2) acid gas are synthesized directly to produce urea. It is
prilled in form without any odor or color and slightly hygroscopic.
Urea is mainly used for chemical fertilizer such as solo ingredient
of nitrogen fertilizer as is ammonium sulphate and ingredient of mixed
fertilizer or slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Dilute urea liquid can
be sprayed on leaves as fertilizer and put a little amount into feed
for chewers. In addition, it is of wide use of industrial purpose such
as plastic, dyeing, medicines and organic synthesis. Urea and melamine
can be used either separately or as condensation resin for molding compound,
adhesive material, paint, textile-processing and paper converting. By
impregnating printing paper with melamine and applying heat and pressure,
melamine resin decorated sheet can be produced, which offers great resistance
to water and heat and has various uses.
Ammonium
Nitrate
Ammonium nitrate
is crystal in form without any odor or color. Ammonium nitrate solution
made by having aqua fortis react to ammonia is concentrated and dried
to produce ammonium nitrate. It explodes when mixed with organic matter,
heated or shocked. It is used for materials for explosives, fireworks
and insecticides as well as materials for mixed fertilizer.
Ammonium
Bicarbonate
Ammonium bicarbonate
is crystal in form without any odor or color, made with ammonia and
carbon dioxide. It is used to make baking powder, medicine, extinguishing
agent, washing agent, to degrease woolen fabric and to extract rare
earthes.
Liquid
Ammonia Aqua Ammonia
Liquid ammonia is
produced when ammonia is put the pressure on and cooled down. The uses
of liquid ammonia are ammonia derived products such as nitric acid and
urea, materials for caprolactam and acrylonitrile, fermentation for
glutamic acid soda, disposal of NOx occurring in the course of thermal
power generation and surface treatment for iron (protection against
oxidation). Aqua ammonia which is also called ammonium hydroxide is
produced by dissolving ammonia in water. The uses of aqua ammonia are
medicines, cleaning woolen fabric, cooling medium for refrigerator and
solidifying raw rubber.
Nitric
Acid
Nitric acid is produced
by having ammonia react to compressed air or oxygen and then absorbed
in water. Nitric acid at this phase is called aqua fortis and when it
is concentrated, concentrated nitric. Nitric acid is corrosive liquid
which has a characteristic odor and no color or slightly yellowish.
It has a variety of uses such as organic synthesis, nitro compound,
celluloid, explosive, dyeing, plating, photoengraving and medicines
as well as producing intermediate materials (adipic acid, TDIEMDI) for
nylon and urethane.
Nitrous
Acid Soda Sodium Nitrate
Nitrous acid soda
and sodium nitrate can be produced by having ammonia oxide or aqua fortis
react to caustic soda. Nitrous acid soda is either granular or powder
in form with white or slightly yellowish in color. The uses of nitrous
acid soda are foaming agent, surface treatment agent for metals, heat
treatment agent, dye mordant and organic synthesis. Sodium nitrate is
either white powder or clear granular and used for antifoaming agent
for glasses, dyeing and explosives
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What
is ammonia?
Ammonia (NH3) is
colorless gas at normal temperature and changes into white smoke when
released into the atmosphere. Ammonia can be liquefied easily when pressurized
or cooled, and liquid form of ammonia is called liquid ammonia. The
amount of heat it absorbs from surrounding environment when changing
from liquid to gas is the greatest next to water and it dissolves various
kind of matters.
When ammonia is
dissolved in water, it is called aqua ammonia (NH4OH), which is sold
in a polyethylene or glass bottle for ordinary users. On the contrary,
liquid ammonia is either transported by pipe line or carried by tankship
and tanker and sometimes it is put into a cylinder to trade. Because
of the explosive property of liquid ammonia when mixed with air or in
contact with strong acid, ordinary people rarely see it.
Ammonia is used
as a basis to produce various kinds of everyday chemical products. Here
are two most popular products of ammonia.
One such kind of
product is nylon used for clothing. Nylon is made from caprolactam and
ammonia is used as an in-process material. As popular functional plastic,
nylon is used for machine parts (a tire cord, a gear and a bearing),
auto parts (a bulb for a carburetor, a container for brake fluid), home
electric appliances, building materials and medical supplies.
The other kind
of product is acrylonitrile made from ammonia and propylene. Acrylonitrile
is the main raw material of synthetic rubber, which is called acrylic
fiber or NBR. As ABS resin, its properties are hard, strong and easily
shiny-colorable, which makes it possible to meet variety of consumers'
demands such as home electric appliances, interior and exterior of cars,
office automation equipments and housing materials
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