What is ammonia nitrate

Unfortunately, the alternative with the highest nitrogen content is anhydrous ammonia, which is a toxic gas at ambient temperature. Other alternatives with high nitrogen content, such as ammonium hydroxide solutions and urea, are attractive due to their low cost and effectiveness; however, they are volatile. Slow-release formulations of urea, as well as modified lignins and hydrogels, have been developed to overcome this challenge.

Previous disasters have heightened public awareness of the explosive nature of ammonium nitrate, and the consequences of its unsafe storage and use. In response, many regulations, rules and guidelines for ammonium nitrate, especially regarding its storage and handling, have emerged in different areas to improve safety.

The primary U. Noteworthy, however, the diligent enforcement of the safety rules and regulations is the key for avoiding future accidents such as the Beirut disaster. The requirements to safely store ammonium nitrate can be summarized as follows Figure 3 :. Despite safety concerns, ammonium nitrate remains an important fertilizer worldwide as it is effective, cheap and easy to manufacture.

Inconsistent regulations and a lack of sustained awareness on how to safely handle and store ammonium nitrate within the global supply chain are key challenges that must be overcome through education and advocacy to prevent another global tragedy.

See how scientists are making ammonium nitrate safer in our most recent white paper Lessons learned from Ammonium Nitrate. CAS is a leader in scientific information solutions, partnering with innovators around the world to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. CAS employs over 1, experts who curate, connect, and analyze scientific knowledge to reveal unseen connections.

For over years, scientists, patent professionals, and business leaders have relied on CAS solutions and expertise to provide the hindsight, insight, and foresight they need so they can build upon the learnings of the past to discover a better future.

Perform Search Perform Search. No results for your query. Written By. Home Blog Ammonium Nitrate: Lessons learned and safer approaches. November The Beirut disaster On August 4, , a large amount of ammonium nitrate in a storage hangar at the Port of Beirut exploded, causing over deaths and 6, injuries, as well as enormous property damage, leaving an estimated , people homeless.

Figure 1. Accidents involving ammonium nitrate around the globe. Major accidents are defined as involved more than 1, tonnes of ammonium nitrate or caused more than 30 deaths during the explosion five of the minor accidents are not shown in the figure.

Figure 2. Distribution of AN accidents since 20th Century For even more insights into the chemical properties of ammonium nitrate, its hazards and safety rules download this in-depth CAS report. How dangerous is ammonium nitrate? Frantic search for survivors of deadly explosion Dozens dead and thousands injured, health minister says. What caused the mushroom cloud? How dangerous are the gases produced? Is it used in bombs?

Has anything like this happened before? In , about 4, tonnes of ammonium nitrate caused an explosion at a plant in Oppau, Germany, killing more than people The deadliest industrial accident in US history occurred in at Galveston Bay, Texas. At least people were killed when more than 2, tonnes of the chemical detonated on-board a ship which had docked in the port More recently, an explosion involving ammonium nitrate and other chemicals killed people in the port of Tianjin northern China in Related Topics.

Lebanon Beirut. Published 5 August Images from Beirut reveal a distinct reddish colour to the plume of gases from the blast. Nitrogen oxides are commonly present in urban air pollution, and can irritate the respiratory system.

Elevated levels of these pollutants are particularly concerning for people with respiratory conditions. The fumes in Beirut will present a health risk to residents until they naturally dissipate, which could take several days depending on the local weather.

Here in Australia, we produce and import large amounts of ammonium nitrate, mostly for use in mining. It is made by combining ammonia gas with liquid nitric acid, which itself is made from ammonia. Ammonium nitrate is classified as dangerous goods and all aspects of its use are tightly regulated.

For decades, Australia has produced, stored and used ammonium nitrate without a major incident. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Gabriel da Silva is a senior lecturer in chemical engineering at the University of Melbourne. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.

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