What are the main uses of nitrogen?

What are the main uses of nitrogen?

Nitrogen gas was discovered by a Scottish scientist Daniel Rutherford in 1772 AD and named as mephitic air (poisonous gas). Lavoisier studied its properties and named it azota, i.e. gas having no life. Finally, the name nitrogen was derived from nitre (KNO3), which has nitrogen as one of the elements.

Nitrogen occurs free as well as in combined state in nature. In Free State, it is present in the atmosphere at about 78.08 % by volume. In combined state, it is present in the compounds like ammonia, nitre, ammonium salts, nitrate compounds etc.

Nitrogen is manufacture commercially by two methods:

a) From air

A mixture of different types of gas (air) is collected and liquefied at very low temperature and high pressure. Now, the liquid gaseous mixture is subjected to fractional distillation. Liquid nitrogen having low boiling point (-196 degree Celsius) distills out first leaving the liquid oxygen of higher boiling point (- 183 degree Celsius). In this way, nitrogen vapor is collected in the cylinder.

b) From ammonia

For commercial purpose, nitrogen gas can also be prepared by inducing a reaction between ammonia and chlorine.

Ammonia + Chlorine = Ammonium Chloride + Nitrogen

There are various other methods to prepare the nitrogen gas from different chemicals. Nitric oxides when burned with copper, it gives copper oxides and Nitrogen gas. Bleaching powder when heated with ammonia solution, it gives off nitrogen gas.

In laboratories Nitrogen gas is prepared by heating Ammonium Chloride with Sodium nitrate. Ammonium chloride and Sodium nitrate when heated it will gives sodium chloride, water and Nitrogen gas as a product.

Nitrogen gas is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas and doesn't support in respiration process. It is lighter than air and neutral to the indicators. It neither burns nor supports combustion and it is insoluble in water.It liquefied at -196 degree Celsius and Solidified at - 210 degree Celsius.

Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen at 500 degree Celsius temperature and 200 to 600 atmospheric pressure in presence of iron as catalyst and molybdenum as a promoter to give ammonia.

Nitrogen + Hydrogen = Ammonia

Nitrogen reacts combines with Oxygen at about 300 degree Celsius to gives nitric oxide. Also Nitrogen combines with metals to give metallic nitrides.

Nitrogen is used in manufacture of ammonia gas, nitric acid, nitroglycerine etc .It is used in the fuel tanks of aero planes to prevent explosion. It is used in electric bulbs to provide inert atmosphere. Nitrogen is used to manufacture nitrogenous fertilizers like ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate etc. Nitrogen is used as a cooling agent.

 

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