Ammonium nitrate is often used as a fertilizer
Ammonium comes from the scientific Latin ammonium , in turn derived from ammonia . It is a radical composed of four hydrogen atoms and one nitrogen atom .
Overview
Before moving forward, it is important to note that a radical is a grouping of atoms that, in a chemical compound, functions as a unit, while also remaining unchanged in the passage from one combination to another. In the case of ammonium, it is a monovalent radical : it has a single valence (the number that reveals the ability of a chemical element to combine with others to develop compounds).
Ammonium combines with acids to form salts . In the reactions, meanwhile, it intervenes as a metal .
Having one nitrogen atom ( N ) and four hydrogen atoms ( H ), the chemical formula of ammonium is NH4 . The substance that has one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms (that is, one hydrogen atom less than ammonium) is called ammonia or ammonia .
ammonium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate , on the other hand, which is also known by the name ammonium nitrate , is a solid made up of ammonium and nitrates (salts of nitric acid). With the chemical formula NH4NO3 , it has no color, is very soluble in water, unstable and is capable of absorbing moisture from its environment. It is usually used to produce explosives and fertilizers, for example.
To obtain ammonium nitrate, it is necessary to neutralize the nitric acid with ammonium hydroxide after the water evaporates. One possibility in the laboratory is to have ammonium sulfate and strontium nitrate in solution, and then obtain this substance through double decomposition. If we precipitate the sulfate and filter the solution that undergoes evaporation, the result is powdered ammonium nitrate or crystals.
As mentioned above, one of the most common applications of this product is in the form of fertilizer, because it contains a good proportion of nitrogen. The plants use the nitrate and the ammonium is oxidized by the microorganisms in the soil and converted into nitrosomonas or nitrobacter , a fertilizer that lasts a long time.
On the European continent, there are at least ten different methods for producing ammonium nitrate by industrial means. Among all of them, it is not possible to choose one as the one that offers the most advantages over the others, for two well-defined reasons:
* one or the other is chosen according to certain factors that belong to the commercial field;
* some methods offer practically the same results, so the differences are not very evident.
quaternary ammonium
Quaternary ammonium , likewise, is one of the components of ammonium hydroxide . This substance, diluted in water , is used as a disinfectant since it is effective against fungi, bacteria and viruses. This product is very powerful in its action against microorganisms and is marketed in different formats, such as aerosols and wet towels.
Quaternary ammonium is an effective and versatile disinfectant
Within the framework of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic , the water and quaternary ammonium solution began to be used in several regions for the disinfection of vehicles and clothing. They can be used by spraying and rinsing the surfaces we want to disinfect, as well as by moistening a soft cloth and then wiping it directly. In any case, it is important to keep the environment in which it is handled well ventilated.
In more technical terms, quaternary ammoniums are considered active agents capable of interacting with the plasmatic and cytoplasmic membranes of yeasts and bacteria respectively, as well as other microorganisms, including molds. Its effectiveness also reaches enveloped and naked viruses.