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Ammonium nitrite

physical science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Ammonium nitrite is a special chemical compound. It is the ammonium salt of nitrous acid. This substance is made of two parts. One part is the ammonium cation. The other part is the nitrite anion. Scientists do not use it in its pure form. This is because it is highly unstable. It breaks apart very easily.

This compound breaks down into water and nitrogen. It can do this even at room temperature. The way it works depends on heat or acid. If it gets hot, it decomposes. If it meets an acid, it also breaks down. It can even explode if it gets too warm. This might happen at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius. It breaks down faster in liquid than in dry crystals.

Many ways can make this compound. It can form naturally in the air. Scientists can also make it in a lab. They can use ozone or hydrogen peroxide on ammonia. They can also use a precipitation reaction. This uses things like barium nitrite or lead nitrite. They can also use silver nitrite or ammonium perchlorate. These steps create a precipitate that is filtered off.

Keeping this chemical safe is a hard job. The solution is stable at low temperatures. It is also stable at a higher pH. A pH below 7.0 is considered low. If the pH drops, the compound may explode. This happens because the nitrite reacts to the acid. You can keep the pH safe by adding ammonia. The ammonia must be more than 10% of the mix.

Think about how some things change when they get warm. This chemical is like that, but much faster. It turns from a solid crystal into gas and water. You can see this in how things dissolve in water. The crystals are colorless and dissolve easily. It is a small part of the world of nitrites. It is also part of the world of oxidizing agents.

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