Haber Process for Ammonia Manufacturing
The Haber process is used to synthesise ammonia (NH₃) from nitrogen and hydrogen gases. It’s one of the most important chemical processes, which enabling the production of fertilizers.
Chemical Reaction:
N₂(g) + 3H₂(g) ⇌ 2NH₃(g) (ΔH = -92 kJ/mol)
The combination of atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen to produce ammonia.
It is an exothermic reaction
1.Temperature
- Typically 400-450°C
- higher temperature speeds up the reaction but reduce the yield (since it’s exothermic)
- Lower temperatures would give better yields but are too slow.
2.Pressure
- 150-250 atmospheres (150-250 bar)
- High pressure favors ammonia formation since 4 molecules of reactants produce only 2 molecules of product
3.Catalyst
- Iron catalyst
- 4.promoters :Mo or potassium oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide.
- The catalyst speeds up the reaction without being consumed.
Haber Process for Ammonia Manufacturing