What is Ammonium Chloride?
Ammonium chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is also known as the salt of ammonia and hydrogen chloride, or sal ammoniac.
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The byproduct of sodium carbonate is ammonium chloride. Chlorine ammonium has diuretic and expectorant properties. In its purest form, it is white crystalline salt. This substance is extremely soluble in water and somewhat acidic. In veterinary medicine, ammonium chloride is used to avoid urinary stones in sheep, goats, and cattle. When solutions of ammonium sulfate and sodium chloride combine, NH4Cl is generated. When a 5% (by weight) ammonium chloride solution is combined with water, the resulting solution has a pH between 4.6 and 6.0.
The body and urine contain ammonium chloride, an acidifying salt. Ammonium chloride regulates pH and has a slight diuretic effect. By irritating the mucous membranes, this acid-forming salt also has an expectorant effect, making it effective for cough alleviation. The material ammonium chloride is crystalline and white.
Structure of Ammonium Chloride NH4Cl
Properties of Ammonium Chloride
| NH4Cl | Ammonium Chloride |
| Molecular Weight/ Molar Mass | 53.491 g/mol |
| Density | 1.53 g/cm³ |
| Boiling Point | 520 °C |
| Melting Point | 338 °C |
Preparation of Ammonium Chloride (NH4Cl)
Ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen chloride react to make ammonium chloride, which can be sold.
NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl
Ammonium chloride is also made when the Solvay Process is done. In this procedure, carbon dioxide and ammonia are introduced to a cold, saturated sodium chloride solution.
CO2 + 2 NH3 + 2 NaCl + H2O → 2 NH4Cl + Na2CO3
Chemical Properties of Ammonium Chloride (NH4Cl)
- On decomposition of ammonium Chloride produces ammonia gas and hydrogen chloride.
NH4Cl → NH3 + HCl
- Ammonium chloride also reacts with sodium hydroxide to produce ammonia gas.
NH4Cl + NaOH → NH3 + NaCl + H2O
- Ammonium chloride reacts with sodium carbonate to produce sodium chloride and ammonia gas.
2 NH4Cl + Na2CO3 → 2 NaCl + CO2 + H2O + 2 NH3
Uses of Ammonium Chloride
- It is used as a nitrogen source in fertilizers.
- It is used as an expectorant in medicine (particularly in cough treatment).
- It is used in adhesive to help bond plywood.
- It is used in aqueous Leclanche cell solutions.
- It is used in food additives as a yeast nutrition in bread production.
- It acts as an acidifier.
- It is used to create low temperatures in cooling baths.
- They are used with ammonia as buffer solutions.
- It is given to cattle as a supplement to their diet.
Ammonium Chloride Health Effects
It is not entirely risk-free, as an overdose is possible. Ammonium chloride has the potential to increase blood pressure. Symptoms of ammonium chloride poisoning include irritability, shortness of breath, cough, nausea, and headache. The gases have the capability of causing severe eye irritation. Chronic exposure can induce asthma-like symptoms and decrease kidney function.
Ammonium chloride is used as a systemic acidifier in the treatment of severe metabolic alkalosis, in the oral acid loading test to diagnose distal renal tubular acidosis, and in the treatment of a number of urinary-tract diseases to maintain an acidic urine pH.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q.1 What are the uses of ammonium chloride?
The principal usage of ammonium chloride is as a source of nitrogen in fertilizers, such as chloro ammonium phosphate (representing 90 percent of global ammonium chloride production). Principally rice and wheat are fertilized in this manner. Ammonium chloride is also used as a flux to prepare metals for grinding, galvanizing, and nickel soldering.
Q.2 How is ammonium chloride prepared?
One of the byproducts of the Solvay method for the manufacturing of sodium carbonate is ammonium chloride. On an industrial scale, this chemical can also be produced by reacting ammonia with hydrochloric acid or hydrogen chloride gas. Certain volcanic regions are known to contain naturally occurring ammonium chloride.
Q.3 When ammonium chloride is heated, what happens?
Ammonium chloride undergoes a breakdown reaction when heated, producing ammonia and hydrogen chloride gas. Despite the resemblance to sublimation processes, this transformation is chemical and not physical.
Q.4 Is ammonium chloride and bleach dangerous?
When ammonium chloride and bleach are combined, chloramine gas is produced. Chloramine gas is naturally poisonous, and exposure to it causes irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
Q.5 What is ammonium chloride found in?
Ammonium chloride is present in common home items such as shampoo, hair color, bleach, body wash, facial cleanser, conditioner, hand wash, dishwashing detergent, and salt, as well as shampoo, hair color, and bleach. This is a crucial function of electrolytes in dry cell batteries.
Experts at Utopper can tell you more about the structure and physical and chemical properties of NH4Cl.
