AMMONIUM CHLORIDE (NH4CL): PROPERTIES, RISKS AND USES - CHEMISTRY - 2025

The ammonium chloride, also known as ammonium salt, an inorganic salt is found in the urine with the formula NH ₄ Cl. Found in mineralogical formations and in this way is called sal ammoniac. It has also been found in some volcanic vents and ash.

It can be obtained by various methods. The first is through the neutralization with HCl of the ammonia residue formed in the distillation of coal: NH ₃ + HCl → NH ₄ Cl.

Figure 1: structure of ammonium chloride.

The second strategy is through the Solvay process to obtain sodium carbonate (or bicarbonate) and where ammonium chloride is produced as a by-product:

NH ₃ + CO ₂ + NaCl + H ₂ O → NH ₄ Cl + NaHCO ₃

In the Solvay process, the sodium bicarbonate is recovered by filtration and then the ammonium chloride that remains in solution crystallizes (Ammonium Chloride Formula, SF).

More than 230,000 tons of ammonium chloride are produced annually in Japan, where it is used mainly for fertilizers in rice cultivation.

However, odorless salt has many other applications including use in the manufacture of personal cleaning products, pyrotechnics, as a component in the metallurgical industry, medicine, as a flavoring in the food industry, and as an electrolyte in zinc batteries. -carbon (The Chemical Company, 2016).

Physical and chemical properties

Ammonium chloride are odorless, finely divided hygroscopic white particles (National Center for Biotechnology Information., 2017).

Figure 2: appearance of ammonium chloride.

The compound has a triclinic lattice structure with a center-centered cubic structure. Its molecular weight is 53.490 g / mol, its density is 1.5274 g / mL, and its melting and boiling points are 338ºC and 520ºC.

Ammonium chloride is soluble in water, and 383.0 g of compound can be dissolved per liter of solvent. It is also soluble in ethanol, methanol, and glycerol and slightly soluble in acetone. It is insoluble in organic solvents such as ethyl acetate (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015).

Ammonium chloride can undergo different reactions of great value for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. May decompose when heated in hydrochloric acid and ammonia:

NH ₄ Cl → NH ₃ + HCl

Additionally, it can react with bases such as sodium or potassium hydroxide to also produce ammonia gas:

NH ₄ Cl + NaOH → NH ₃ + NaCl + H ₂ O

Another important reaction in which ammonia chloride is used is the decomposition of carbonates and bicarbonates, forming a salt and ammonia:

2NH ₄ Cl + Na ₂ CO ₃ → 2NaCl + CO ₂ + H ₂ O + 2NH ₃

Ammonium chloride is considered an acidic salt. The resulting solutions contain moderate concentrations of hydronium ions and have a pH of less than 7.0. They react like acids to neutralize bases.

They generally do not react as oxidizing agents or reducing agents, but such behavior is not impossible. Many of these compounds catalyze organic reactions (Ammonium chloride, 2016).

Reactivity and hazards

Ammonium chloride is extremely poisonous and toxic. They cause organ damage by ingestion or long-term exposure and are also harmful to the eyes. It is not flammable and does not react with other chemicals (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2014).

In case of contact with the eyes, check if you are wearing contact lenses and remove them immediately. Eyes should be flushed with running water for at least 15 minutes, keeping the eyelids open. Cold water can be used. Eye ointment should not be used.

If the chemical comes into contact with clothing, remove it as quickly as possible, protecting your own hands and body.

Place the victim under a safety shower. If the chemical accumulates on the victim's exposed skin, such as the hands, the contaminated skin is gently washed with running water and non-abrasive soap. Cold water can be used. If irritation persists, seek medical attention. Wash the contaminated clothing before using it again.

If the contact with the skin is severe, it should be washed with a disinfectant soap and cover the contaminated skin with an antibacterial cream.

In case of inhalation, the victim should be allowed to rest in a well-ventilated area. If inhalation is severe, the victim should be evacuated to a safe area as soon as possible. Loosen tight clothing such as a collar, belt, or tie.

If it is difficult for the victim to breathe, oxygen should be administered. If the victim is not breathing, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is performed. Always keeping in mind that it can be dangerous for the person providing aid to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when the inhaled material is toxic, infectious or corrosive.

In case of ingestion, do not induce vomiting. Loosen tight clothing such as shirt collars, belts, or ties. If the victim is not breathing, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In all cases, immediate medical attention should be sought (Material Safety Data Sheet Ammonium chloride, 2013).

Applications

1- Medicine

Ammonium chloride has a very important biochemical function: it maintains the physiological pH.

As an acidic salt, it can help correct situations in which the plasma concentration of chloride ions is low or in cases of alkalosis in the blood (high blood pH). This can occur after vomiting, suctioning (pulling) of stomach contents, using diuretics (water or fluid pills), or with certain stomach diseases.

Ammonium chloride also causes the elimination of excess salts and water through increased urination and causes acidosis in the urine (makes it more acidic).

Ammonium chloride has also been used to reduce bloating or weight gain that occurs before menstrual periods and as an aid to treat urinary tract infections (University of Utah, 2017).

It is a component of many cold and cough medications due to its effectiveness as an expectorant. In veterinary medicine it is used to prevent urinary stones in goats, cattle and sheep (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016).

2- Fertilizer

Ammonium chloride is used mainly as a source of nitrogen in fertilizers (which corresponds to 90% of the world production of the compound), such as chloroammonium phosphate, mainly for rice and wheat crops in Asia.

3- Metallurgy

Ammonium chloride is used as a flux in preparing metals to be tin-coated, galvanized, or welded. It works as a flux by cleaning the surface of workpieces by reacting with metal oxides on the surface to form a volatile metal chloride.

For this, it is sold in blocks in hardware stores for use in cleaning the tip of a soldering iron, and can be included in the solder as a flux.

4- Battery component

Ammonium chloride, NH ₄ Cl, is a component of dry cell batteries, energy reservoirs that power electrical devices. Batteries allow you to use electricity when you are not near an electrical outlet or outlet.

There are three main components to each battery: a cathode (the top part of your everyday AA battery, from which electrons flow), an anode (the bottom part of the AA battery, which electrons flow into), and an electrolyte a through which electrons and ions can move.

When ammonium chloride is used as the electrolyte in a battery, it turns into a watery paste and is placed between the cathode and the anode.

Chemical reactions between the cathodes of the batteries and the anodes cause electrons to flow through the ammonium chloride paste, away from the cathode and towards the anode.

Electrons pass through metal contacts in the battery compartment, making electrical equipment work (American Chemistry Council, Inc, 2005).

5- Food

In several countries, ammonium chloride, under the name of ammonia salt or colloquially salmiakki, is used as a food additive under the number E E510, usually as a yeast nutrient in the production of bread.

It is a dietary supplement for cattle and an ingredient in nutrient media for yeast and many microorganisms.

Ammonium chloride is used to flavor dark sweets called salty licorice (very popular in the Nordic countries), in baking to give cookies a very crunchy texture, and in Salmiakki Koskenkorva liqueur for flavoring.

In India and Pakistan, it is called 'Noshader' and is used to enhance the freshness of snacks such as samosas and jalebi.

6- Other uses

Ammonium chloride can be found in shampoo, hair dyes and bleach, body wash and cleanser, facial cleanser, conditioner, dishwashing detergent, as well as bath oils and salts.

Ammonium chloride is also used in etching in the manufacture of printed circuits, as a fire extinguisher. It is also an ingredient in fireworks, explosives, and matches and as a curing agent in formaldehyde-based adhesives.

References

1. American Chemistry Council, Inc. (2005, May). Ammonium Chloride: Helping to Provide Portable Electricity. Retrieved from americanchemistry: americanchemistry.com.
2. Ammonium chloride. (2016). Retrieved from CAMEO Chemicals: cameochemicals.noaa.gov.
3. Ammonium Chloride Formula. (SF). Recovered from softschools: softschools.com.
4. EMBL-EBI. (2016, February 29). ammonium chloride. Recovered from ChEBI: ebi.ac.uk.
5. Encyclopædia Britannica. (2016, April 13). Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica: britannica.com.
6. Material Safety Data Sheet Ammonium chloride. (2013, May 21). Retrieved from sciencelab: sciencelab.com.
7. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2017, April 22). PubChem Compound Database; CID = 25517. Recovered from PubChem: pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
8. Royal Society of Chemistry. (2015). Ammonium chloride. Recovered from chemspider: chemspider.com.
9. The Chemical Company. (2016). Ammonium Chloride. Recovered from thechemco: thechemco.com.
10. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2014, July 1). AMMONIUM CHLORIDE. Recovered from cdc.gov.
11. University of Utah. (2017). Ammonium Chloride enteric-coated tablets. RRetrieved from healthcare.utah.edu.