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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