6.3.8

The Haber Process

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The Haber Process

By reacting nitrogen with hydrogen, the Haber process yields ammonia. This can be used to make nitrogen-based fertilisers, which farmers can then add back into the soil. The steps involved in the Haber process are:

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Pass over iron catalyst

  • Nitrogen and hydrogen are passed over an iron catalyst at a temperature of 450°C and a pressure of 200 atm. This results in the production of ammonia gas.
  • This reaction is reversible, so not all of the ammonia stays as ammonia - some will break back down to give the reactants, nitrogen and hydrogen.
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Condensation

  • The ammonia gas cools down in a condenser. The ammonia is removed from the condenser once it has become a liquid.
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Recycling

  • We can recycle any unused hydrogen and nitrogen back into the process to create more ammonia. This means that waste of valuable reactants can be avoided!

Jump to other topics

1States of Matter

2Atoms, Elements & Compounds

3Stoichometry

4Electrochemistry

5Chemical Energetics

6Chemical Reactions

7Acids, Bases & Salts

8The Periodic Table

9Metals

10Chemistry of the Environment

11Organic Chemistry

11.1Formulae, Functional Groups & Terminology

11.2Naming Organic Compounds

11.3Fuels

11.4Alkanes

11.5Alkenes

11.6Alcohols

11.7Carboxylic Acids

11.8Polymers

12Experimental Techniques & Chemical Analysis

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