Haber process

The Haber process,^[1] also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the main industrial procedure for the production of ammonia.^[2]^[3] It converts atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) to ammonia (NH₃) by a reaction with hydrogen (H₂) using finely divided iron metal as a catalyst:

${\ce {N2 + 3H2 <=> 2NH3}}\qquad {\Delta H_{\mathrm {298~K} }^{\circ }=-92.28~{\ce {kJ/mol}}}$

This reaction is thermodynamically favorable at room temperature, but the kinetics are prohibitively slow. At high temperatures at which catalysts are active enough that the reaction proceeds to equilibrium, the reaction is reactant-favored rather than product-favored. As a result, high pressures are needed to drive the reaction forward.

The German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed the process in the first decade of the 20th century, and its improved efficiency over existing methods such as the Birkeland-Eyde and Frank-Caro processes was a major advancement in the industrial production of ammonia.^[4]^[5]^[6] The Haber process can be combined with steam reforming to produce ammonia with just three chemical inputs: water, natural gas, and atmospheric nitrogen. Both Haber and Bosch were eventually awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Haber in 1918 for ammonia synthesis specifically, and Bosch in 1931 for related contributions to high-pressure chemistry.

^ Habers process chemistry. India: Arihant publications. 2018. p. 264. ISBN 978-93-131-6303-9.
^ Appl, M. (1982). "The Haber–Bosch Process and the Development of Chemical Engineering". A Century of Chemical Engineering. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 29–54. ISBN 978-0-306-40895-3.
^ Appl, Max (2006). "Ammonia". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a02_143.pub2. ISBN 978-3527306732.
^ Smil, Vaclav (2004). Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production (1st ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT. ISBN 978-0-262-69313-4.
^ Hager, Thomas (2008). The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish genius, a doomed tycoon, and the scientific discovery that fed the world but fueled the rise of Hitler (1st ed.). New York, New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-35178-4.
^ Sittig, Marshall (1979). Fertilizer Industry: Processes, Pollution Control, and Energy Conservation. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Data Corp. ISBN 978-0-8155-0734-5.

[1] Habers process chemistry. India: Arihant publications. 2018. p. 264. ISBN 978-93-131-6303-9.

[2] Appl, M. (1982). "The Haber–Bosch Process and the Development of Chemical Engineering". A Century of Chemical Engineering. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 29–54. ISBN 978-0-306-40895-3.

[Appl-3] Appl, Max (2006). "Ammonia". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a02_143.pub2. ISBN 978-3527306732.

[Smil_2004_Enriching-4] Smil, Vaclav (2004). Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production (1st ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT. ISBN 978-0-262-69313-4.

[hager-5] Hager, Thomas (2008). The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish genius, a doomed tycoon, and the scientific discovery that fed the world but fueled the rise of Hitler (1st ed.). New York, New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-35178-4.

[6] Sittig, Marshall (1979). Fertilizer Industry: Processes, Pollution Control, and Energy Conservation. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Data Corp. ISBN 978-0-8155-0734-5.

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