Ammonium
Chloride – General Information
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Ammonium
chloride |
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IUPAC name
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Ammonium chloride
|
|
Identifiers |
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CAS number
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[12125-02-9]
|
|
Properties |
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Molecular formula
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NH4Cl
|
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Molar mass
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53.49 g/mol
|
|
Appearance
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White solid
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|
Density |
1.527 g/cm3
|
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Melting point
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338 °C (sublimes)
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Solubility in water
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29.7 g/100 g water at 0 °C
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NH4Cl (also Sal Ammoniac, Salmiac, Salmiak, Nushadir Salt,
Navsagar, Navsar, Nausagar, Nausar, Zalmiak, Sal Armagnac, Sal Armoniac, Salmiakki, Salamaka, Salmiak and
Salt Armoniack) is, in its pure form, a clear white water-soluble crystalline
salt of ammonia. The aqueous ammonium chloride solution is mildly
acidic.
Sal
ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of
Ammonium chloride.
Sources
In nature, the substance occurs
in volcanic regions, forming
on volcanic rocks near fume-releasing vents. The crystals deposit directly from
the gaseous state, and tend to be short-lived, as they dissolve easily in
water.
It is prepared
commercially by reacting ammonia (NH3) with hydrogen chloride (HCl):
NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl
It is also
available as a bye-product of Soda Ash Plant and some other chemical processes.
It is also
found in volcanoes and deep underground.
It sublimes readily but this process involves
dissociation into ammonia and hydrochloric acid followed by reforming of the
compound.
NH4Cl →
NH3 + HCl
Zinc ammonium chloride is
commonly known as flux, and is used for galvanizing steel. It is 60% ammonium
chloride and 40% zinc chloride in it.
Applications
Ammonium chloride is sold in
blocks ( bars or briquettes ) at hardware stores for use in cleaning the tip of a
soldering iron and can also
be included in solder as
flux. A principal use of ammonium chloride has
been as a fluxing agent for hot dip galvanizing of steel and in the refining of
zinc. It provides fluxing action by reacting with molten zinc to
form a stable melt containing zinc chloride and ammonium chloride.
It is used as it is or in compound
fertilizer. It has higher
concentration of Nitrogen than ammonium sulphate. Nitrification is less rapid
than in urea or ammonium sulphate and this means N losses are lower. Although
it is better known as rice fertilizer, it has been tested and
used on other crops like wheat, barley, sugarcane, maize, fiber crops etc. Of
particular note is the use of this fertilizer on palms; increasing the yield
of Copra per tree.
Other uses of Ammonium
chloride include a feed
supplement for cattle, in hair shampoo, in textile printing, in
the glue that bonds plywood,
as an ingredient in nutritive media for yeast, in cleaning products, and as cough
medicine. Its expectorant action is caused by irritating action on
the bronchial mucosa. This causes the production of excess respiratory tract
fluid which presumably is easier to cough up. It is also used in an oral acid
loading test to diagnose distal renal tubular acidosis.
It is used in snow treatment, namely on ski slopes at
temperatures above 0 °C, to harden the snow and slow its melting.
Found in nature
and also produced industrially, ammonium chloride has other important uses too.
These include lowering the melting temperatures of certain metals for
manufacturing processes, and as a fertilizer, anti-caking agent and ingredient
in personal care products and pharmaceuticals
In several countries
Ammonium chloride
is used to spice up
liquorices-type dark candies (Finland's
Salmiakki, Sweden's
Lakrisal, the Netherlands'
Zoute
drop and the Danish Dracula Piller are popular examples), and as a flavouring for vodkas.
Other uses of Ammonium
chloride include electrolyte for plating baths and/or
batteries; fertilizer, personal care product formulations, pharmaceuticals etc.
Ammonium chloride
is used as an
expectorant, diuretic and systemic acidifying agent. It is used in the treatment
of severe metabolic alkalosis, to maintain the urine at an acid pH in the
treatment of some urinary-tract disorders or in forced acid diuresis.
Ammonium salts are an irritant to
the gastric mucosa and may induce nausea and vomiting.
Electroplating Use: These
days, there are three primary types of acid zinc plating baths: straight
ammonium chloride, straight potassium chloride and mixed NH4Cl/KCl. Acid zinc plating systems have several advantages
over alkaline cyanide and alkaline non-cyanide zinc plating systems except that
in acid zinc plating, the electrolyte is extremely corrosive.
Ammonium chloride zinc plating: The ammonium chloride bath is the most
forgiving of the three major types of acid zinc plating because of its wide
operating parameters. The primary drawback of this system is the high level of
ammonia, which can cause problems in wastewater treatment. Ammonia acts as a chelator, and if the rinse waters are not segregated from other waste streams,
removal of metals to acceptable levels using standard water treatment practices
can be difficult and expensive. Ammonia is also regulated in many communities.
Dry Cell or Batteries:
Ammonium chloride
is a component of dry cell batteries, little storehouses of
energy that power so many of our electrical devices. Batteries permit us to use
electricity even when we are far from an electrical point. With battery power we
can have music while we jog down the street, light while we camp on a moonless
night, and the convenience and accuracy of a pocket calculator.
Galvanizing, Soldering and Tinning Fluxes:
Ammonium chloride
is used in fluxes for galvanizing, soldering and tinning. Its ability
to remove oxides and salts from metal surfaces insures good metal to metal
bonding. It has the ability to attack
metal oxides. This reaction is relevant to the utility of
Ammonium chloride
as a flux
for soldering - it dissolves oxide coatings exposing the
clean metal surface.
For more information on Ammonium Chloride, please visit
University of Ammonium Chloride
Ammonium Chloride BP USP IP ACS FCC Food Grade
For more information contact
manufacturer at:
MUBY CHEMICALS
S-8,
SARIFA
MANSION,
2ND
FLANK ROAD,
CHINCHBUNDER, MUMBAI 400009,
INDIA.
TEL: (OFFICE) 91-22-23770100,
23774610, 23726950, 23723564. FAX: 91-22-23728264.
E-mail:
info@mubychem.com
Cell Call to
Anmol: +91-9821870100
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and Usual Disclaimer
is Applicable.
Last updated:
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