Ammonium chloride



Ammonium chloride
IUPAC name Ammonium chloride
Identifiers
CAS number 12125-02-9
Properties
Molecular formula NH4Cl
Molar mass 53.49 g/mol
Appearance White solid
Density 1.527 g/cm3
Melting point

338 °C (sublimes)

Solubility in water 29.7 g/100 g water at 0 °C
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references

Ammonium chloride (ammonia. The aqueous ammonium chloride solution is mildly acidic.

History

The modern name "ammonium" comes from sal ammoniac. The substance was known as nushadir salt (Arabic and Persian: نشادر) in Arabic-speaking countries and Persia, naosha (Chinese: 硇砂; pinyin: náoshā) in China, nao sadar in India. The Romans called the ammonium chloride deposits they collected from near the Temple of Jupiter Amun (Greek Ἄμμων Ammon) in ancient Libya 'sal ammoniacus' (salt of Amun) because of proximity to the nearby temple[1].

It was considered one of the four ammonia:

2NH4Cl + 2CaO → CaCl2 + Ca(OH)2 + 2NH3

Sources

In nature, the substance occurs in volcanic regions, forming on volcanic rocks near fume-releasing vents. The crystals deposit directly from the gaseous state, and tend to be short-lived, as they dissolve easily in water.

Ammonium chloride is prepared commercially by reacting hydrogen chloride (HCl):

NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl

Applications

Ammonium chloride is sold in blocks at hardware stores for use in cleaning the tip of a soldering iron and can also be included in flux.

Other uses include a feed supplement for cattle, in hair cough medicine. Its expectorant action is caused by irritative action on the bronchial mucosa. This causes the production of excess respiratory tract fluid which presumably is easier to cough up. It is also used in an oral acid loading test to diagnose distal renal tubular acidosis.

Ammonium chloride is used in snow treatment, namely on ski slopes at temperatures above 0 °C, to harden the snow and slow its melting.[2]

In several countries sal ammoniac is used to spice up liquorice-type dark candies (Finland's salmiakki, Sweden's lakrisal, the Netherlands' zoute drop and the Danish Dracula Piller are popular examples), and as a flavoring for vodkas.

Ammonium chloride is used as an expectorant, diuretic and systemic acidifying agent. It is used in the treatment of severe metabolic alkalosis, to maintain the urine at an acid pH in the treatment of some urinary-tract disorders or in forced acid diuresis.

Ammonium salts are an irritant to the gastric mucosa and may induce nausea and vomiting.

See also

  • Salty liquorice
  • Salmiakki Koskenkorva

References

  1. ^ Ammonia. h2g2 Eponyms. BBB.CO.UK (January 11, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  2. ^ http://www.mpa.cc/ski_rule.html


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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ammonium_chloride". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.