Ammonium chloride
- Ammoniummuriat
- Ammonia salt
- Soldering stone
- Sal ammoniac
- E 510
G04BA01
Colorless crystals
Fixed
1.53 g · cm -3
Decomposes at 338 ° C
1.3 hPa ( 160.4 ° C)
Well in water ( 372 g · l-1 at 20 ° C)
Attention
1650 mg · kg -1 ( LD50, rat, oral)
-314.6 KJ · mol -1
Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search available
Ammonium chloride, the ammonium salt of hydrochloric acid. It is a colorless, crystalline solid with the chemical formula NH 4 Cl.
Occurrence
Naturally occurring ammonium chloride is known as sal ammoniac mineral. The mineral is a solid, which should not be with an aqueous solution of ammonia, the ammonia, confused. The name ammonium chloride is derived from the Latin " sal ammoniacum " (salt of Ammon, see Naming of ammonia), as it occurred in antiquity in the vicinity of Ammon - temple in Egypt today and externally the halite (rock salt ) is similar.
Production and representation
Ammonium chloride can be obtained by neutralization of aqueous ammonia solution with hydrochloric acid or by the reaction of gaseous ammonia with gaseous hydrogen chloride.
Ammonium chloride is a by- product in the production of soda by the Solvay process:
Properties
Ammonium chloride is a colorless, readily water- soluble salt which forms cubic crystals. Aqueous solutions are acidic. The pH of a 1% solution is about 5.5. It is poorly soluble, and insoluble in acetone and ether in ethanol. With increasing temperature, ammonium chloride dissociates to ammonia and increasing hydrogen chloride.
Above a temperature of 340 ° C, ammonium chloride decomposes into the two gases hydrogen chloride and ammonia. Under pressure ( 34.4 bar ) ammonium chloride melts at 520 ° C. When moving ammonium chloride with a strong base (such as potassium hydroxide ), gaseous ammonia is liberated.
Use
Using ammonium chloride is today among other things for the production of freezing mixtures, in dyeing and tanning. Also, it has application in the tin plating, zinc plating or soldering, because it has the ability with metal oxides to form slightly fuming and weakly adhering chlorides and thus to clean the metal surface. It's also used in medicine as a cough medicine ( expectorant ). Therefore it is e.g. included in sal ammoniac liquorice ( Salmiakpastillen ). In addition, it is used as an electrolyte in zinc -carbon batteries. The tobacco law allows the addition of ammonium chloride to some tobacco products. Displaced with ammonia ammonium chloride solutions may also be used as a buffer. It is also commonly used in smoke powder ( white) available. Together with alkali nitrates, it serves as a component in explosives.
Ammonia fumes react with hydrochloric acid gas to ammonium chloride
Formation of ammonium chloride in the gas phase
Formation of ammonia and hydrochloric acid from ammonium chloride
Toxicology
Daily doses of eight grams of ammonium chloride resulted in one case after several weeks of acidosis, which also determines at higher doses the symptoms. In -existing liver or kidney disease or potassium deficiency Caution is advised accordingly.