Ammonia (NH₃) is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell that plays a vital role in both nature and industry. Composed of one nitrogen atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, ammonia is essential for life as a key component of the nitrogen cycle, helping convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms that plants can use. In industry, it’s primarily manufactured through the Haber-Bosch process and serves as the foundation for fertilizer production, feeding billions of people worldwide.

Despite its strong odor and potential toxicity at high concentrations, ammonia is remarkably versatile – it’s used in household cleaning products, refrigeration systems, and even as a potential carbon-free fuel for the future.

Find a review of the 50 most important industrial gases here.

20 Fun Facts About Ammonia

Beyond the basics above, what else should we know about Ammonia? Check out the 20 fun facts below!

1. Ancient Egyptians first discovered ammonia at the Temple of Jupiter Ammon in Libya, where they collected ammonium chloride deposits from camel dung – the compound’s name comes from this temple.
2. Your body produces small amounts of ammonia naturally when breaking down proteins, and your liver converts it to less toxic urea.
3. Ammonia can exist as a liquid on Saturn’s moon Titan, potentially forming lakes and rivers just like water does on Earth.
4. Fish and other aquatic animals excrete ammonia directly through their gills into the water, unlike land animals that convert it to urea first.
5. The distinctive smell of ammonia can be detected by humans at concentrations as low as 5 parts per million.
6. During World War I, the ability to synthesize ammonia was crucial for Germany to produce explosives after being cut off from natural nitrate supplies.
7. Ammonia ice makes up a significant portion of the giant planets Uranus and Neptune, giving them their blue-green color.
8. Some bacteria can “eat” ammonia for energy, converting it to nitrite in a process called nitrification.
9. Ammonia fountains are a classic chemistry demonstration where ammonia gas dissolves so readily in water that it creates a vacuum, sucking water up into a flask.
10. The Haber-Bosch process for making ammonia consumes about 1-2% of the world’s total energy production.
11. Ammonia has been used as a refrigerant since the 1850s and is still used in large industrial cooling systems today.
12. Some deep-sea organisms near volcanic vents use ammonia instead of water as their primary bodily fluid.
13. Ammonia can clean jewelry – dilute ammonia solutions are excellent for removing tarnish from silver.
14. The compound becomes a superconductor when mixed with certain metals at very low temperatures.
15. Farmers can directly inject liquid ammonia into soil as fertilizer, where it immediately binds to soil particles.
16. Ammonia clouds in Jupiter’s atmosphere create the planet’s distinctive banded appearance.
17. Some types of ammonia-resistant concrete are being developed for agricultural buildings where ammonia exposure is high.
18. Ammonia can be used to remove nitrogen oxides from power plant emissions in a process called selective catalytic reduction.
19. The human nose is so sensitive to ammonia that it’s sometimes used as a “smelling salt” to revive people who have fainted.
20. Scientists are exploring ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for fuel cells, since it’s easier to store and transport than pure hydrogen gas.

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