Ammonium nitrate is a popular N fertilizer due to its agronomic efficiency and relatively high nutrient content . It is very soluble in the soil and the nitrate portion can be easily taken up by the crops. The ammonium portion provides a delayed supply of N to the crop.
Why is ammonium nitrate used as a fertilizer?
Ammonium nitrate is a popular fertilizer since it provides half of the N in the nitrate form and half in the ammonium form . ... Animal farmers like it for pasture and hay fertilization since it’s less susceptible to volatilization losses than urea-based fertilizers when left on the soil surface.
What is ammonium nitrate good for?
Uses. Ammonium nitrate is used commonly in fertilizers ; in pyrotechniques, herbicides, and insecticides; and in the manufacture of nitrous oxide. It is used as an absorbent for nitrogen oxides, an ingredient of freezing mixtures, an oxidizer in rocket propellants, and a nutrient for yeast and antibiotics.
Why is ammonium nitrate so powerful?
Once a temperature of 170 C is reached, ammonium nitrate starts breaking down , emitting nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. Any sudden ignition causes ammonium nitrate to decompose directly into water, nitrogen and oxygen, which explains the enormous explosive power of the salt.
What happens when you mix water and ammonium nitrate?
Ammonium nitrate consists of ionic bonds packed tightly together. When it comes into contact with water, the polar water molecules interfere with those ions and eventually make them disperse . It takes energy to do this, which is absorbed from the surroundings and makes the solution cold.
What does ammonium nitrate break down into?
Disasters. Ammonium nitrate decomposes, non-explosively, into the gases nitrous oxide and water vapor when heated. However, it can be induced to decompose explosively by detonation.
What are the drawbacks of ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
One of ammonium nitrate’s advantages is that it is not usually subject to volatilization. One of the disadvantages is the high cost per pound of nitrogen . Due to production costs and increased regulations, ammonium nitrate currently costs 20 plus percent more per pound of nitrogen than other common sources.
Is ammonium nitrate good for plants?
Using ammonium nitrate in gardens and large-scale agricultural fields enhances plant growth and provides a ready supply of nitrogen from which plants can draw. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is a simple compound to make.
Can Ceric ammonium nitrate?
| Names | Related compounds Ammonium nitrate Cerium(IV) oxide |
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At what temperature does ammonium nitrate explode?
Ammonium nitrate would only explode on its own if its temperature was rapidly raised to 400 degrees Fahrenheit . Any carbon-rich fuel—paper, cardboard, or even sugar—can pair with ammonium nitrate to produce more intense energy.
How do you prevent ammonium nitrate from exploding?
ammonium nitrate and ensure that the conditions that may lead to an explosion are not present. Actions that may help to prevent explosions include: x Avoid heating ammonium nitrate in a confined space (e.g., processes involving ammonium nitrate should be designed to avoid this possibility).
How bad is ammonium nitrate?
Under normal handling conditions, ammonium nitrate is not harmful . However, inhalation of high concentrations of ammonium nitrate dust can cause respiratory tract irritation. Symptoms may include: coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath, or even suffocation. ... Ammonium nitrate forms a mild acid when mixed with water.
Does ammonium nitrate explode in water?
Ammonium nitrate prills provide a much more concentrated supply of oxygen than the air around us. ... At high enough temperatures, however, ammonium nitrate can violently decompose on its own . This process creates gases including nitrogen oxides and water vapour. It is this rapid release of gases that causes an explosion.
When ammonium nitrate is dissolved in water the solution becomes colder?
The temperature decreased when the ammonium nitrate dissolved in the water. Energy left the system, so the reaction is endothermic.
What are the dangers of ammonia?
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.
