Abstract

Ammonia is a colorless gas, is lighter than air and has a unique penetrating odor. It occurs naturally throughout the universe. This article lists the import properties of ammonia and discusses its manufacture. Ammonia is produced mainly by the steam reforming of methane. This process is discussed in detail. Information on other production processes is given. Ammonia is a world-class commodity. U.S. and global capacity data are presented along with a listing of U.S. producers. Ammonia produced by steam reforming is relatively clean, but ammonia produced from heavy feedstocks can cause environmental problems. Ammonia is a strong local irritant. The largest use for ammonia is in the production of fertilizers. It is also used to produce chemicals such as caprolactam, acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide.