Page 121 - Encyclopedia of Chemical Compounds 3 Vols

AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE

Ammonium hydroxide. White
atoms are hydrogen; red atom
is oxygen; and blue atom is
nitrogen. PU BL I S HERS
RESOURCE GRO U P

of using ammonium hydroxide over ammonia is that the
reactant (the ammonia) may be more easily controlled when
dissolved in water than when available as a gas.

Some uses of ammonium hydroxide include:
• As a cleaning agent in a variety of industrial and com-
mercial products, such as household ammonia, where
the concentration of the solution is generally in the
range of 3 to 10 percent;
• In the manufacture of rayon and other textiles;
• As a refrigerant;
• As a food additive to maintain the proper level of acid-
ity in the food;
• In the production of soaps and detergents, pharmaceu-
ticals, ceramics, explosives, and inks; and
• In the fireproofing of wood.

Health hazards posed by ammonium hydroxide are a
consequence of the ammonia present in the solution. When
exposed to the air, such solutions tend to release some
ammonia gas, which users may breathe in. The gas may then

70 CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS