Question

Describe industrial manufacture of ammonia by Haber's process with labelled diagram.

Answer 1

Large scale production of ammonia is carried by Haber's process as:

$N_2\left(g\right)+3H_2\left(g\right)\rightleftarrows 2{NH}_3\left(g\right)$ $\Delta H_f=-46.1$ kJ/mol

In the process, the two gases ($N_{2}and{H}_2$) are mixed in a molar ratio of $1:3$ and then compressed to the pressure of 200 atm. The mixture then reacts on Iron oxide catalyst (highly porous and finely divide) containing small amounts of promoters (molybdenum or alumina (${Al}_2{O}_3$) and potassium oxide ($K_{2}O$). The reaction is carried out at a high temperature of about 700 K. The ammonia gas is obtained which is then cooled to liquid ammonia and the unreacted molecules of $N_2$ and $H_2$ are directed back to the compression chamber.