Page 125 - Encyclopedia of Chemical Compounds 3 Vols

AMMONIUM NITRATE

nitric acid to form ammonium nitrate. The formula for this
Ammonium nitrate. Red
reaction can be written as NH 3 + HNO 3 ! NH 4 NO 3 .
atoms are oxygen; white atoms
are hydrogen; and blue atoms Large amounts of heat are released during the reaction, so
are nitrogen. PU BL I S HERS
the pipe and supporting equipment must be very strong. The
RESOURCE GRO U P
solution of ammonium nitrate in water is allowed to evapo-
rate, leaving behind pure white crystals of the compound.

COMMON USES AND POTENTIAL HAZARDS
The primary use of ammonium nitrate is the manufac-
ture of fertilizers. In 2005, about 2 million metric tons
(2.2 million short tons) of ammonium nitrate fertilizer was
used in the United States. The compound is added to soil to
provide the nitrogen that plants need to grow. It may be used
by itself or in combination with another nitrogen-rich com-
pound, urea, in a mixture known as UAN.
Ammonium nitrate is also an important component of
some explosives. It provides the oxygen needed to cause
some other material to catch fire and burn very rapidly,

74 CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS