Ammonium nitrate is a white, crystalline inorganic salt widely used as a high‑nitrogen fertilizer and as an industrial oxidizing agent in mining, quarrying, and construction where it is a component of certain commercial explosives and blasting agents.
🏭⚗️ Production
Ammonium nitrate is produced industrially by neutralizing nitric acid (HNO₃) with aqueous ammonia (NH₃) to form an ammonium nitrate solution which is then concentrated and solidified into prills or granules using evaporation and solidification/granulation processes; the product is often treated with anti-caking agents or coatings to improve handling and storage stability.
🔬 Properties
The chemical formula is NH₄NO₃ with a molar mass of approximately 80.04 g/mol. It appears as a white, odorless, crystalline or granular solid that is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic to varying degrees; it is an oxidizer (can supply oxygen) rather than a fuel and decomposes exothermically under strong heating or contamination.
🧪 Applications
Ammonium nitrate is primarily used as a high‑nitrogen agricultural fertilizer, supplying readily available nitrogen to crops; industrially it is used as an oxidizing component in certain blasting explosives and in formulations for mining and construction, and it is used in cold packs (endothermic dissolution in specialized, controlled forms) and in laboratory settings as a reagent.
⚠️ Safety
Ammonium nitrate is not highly toxic by ingestion in small quantities but poses significant hazards because it is a strong oxidizer and can greatly accelerate combustion or detonate if heated strongly, confined, contaminated with combustible materials or certain contaminants (e.g., fuels, chlorides, metallic powders), or improperly stored; strict regulatory controls, segregation from combustibles, use of anti‑caking measures, temperature monitoring, and secure, dry storage are required, and handling should follow applicable national regulations and safety data sheets. Do not attempt to modify, concentrate, or process ammonium nitrate in ways intended to create explosive mixtures; providing instructions for making explosives is unsafe and prohibited.
