The Haber ProcessStudent’s Name
Institution
Individuals Involved in the Haber ProcessDensely populated European countries imported the Peru-Island guano and the Chilean-salt petre for use as a natural source for nitrogen provision in the 1800’s. Depletion of these natural avenues crafted the necessity for nitrogen extraction from air, a challenge that was bestowed on scientists (Fullick & Fullick, 2001).Fritz Haber developed a mechanism that involved use of high pressure, catalysts and heat to synthesize ammonia. The German company BASF chemicals purchased the idea and tasked Carl Bosch with its up-scaling to fit factory production, a process Bosch saw through by 1913. The two scientists involved in the creation and development of the whole process were therefore Fritz Haber together with Carl Bosch; reasoning for its naming as the Haber-Bosch Process.
History of the Haber ProcessThe commercialized Haber process was not an Agricultural invention but was a necessity of war. It was implemented by Germany to meet the shortfalls encountered after the British and Allied forces stopped Nitrate imports from reaching Germany (Joesten, Hogg & Casteleon, 2007).Haber had discovered a means for ammonia synthesis through using high pressure and a heating temperature of about 600o Celsius. Catalysts’ addition was gradual and was done a drop at a time. However, Haber’s original idea could only generate a cup after a long period of waiting and could not be of benefit to the nation as it was (Fullick & Fullick, 2001).When the idea was bought by the BASF Chemicals, a third party, Carl Bosch, was engaged and commission by the company to improve the idea to achieve a commercial status. It took Carl Bosch nearly four years to develop the Haber idea whilst its blueprints were developed by Haber from 1905 to 1909.The process for obtaining the hydrogen used for the ammonia synthesis involved blowing steam over hot coke to separate oxygen from hydrogen. Nitrogen extraction, on the other hand, involved liquid air distillation then the subsequent cooling and compression of air (Smith, Richards & Newton, 2004). The process has been technologized and modernized in the current processes world over.The Haber process has helped achieve new realms in Agriculture through; increasing food production, helping in the balance of the Nitrogen Cycle (Fullick & Fullick, 2001). However, it has its repercussions as the process requires a lot of energies to realize and the fertilizer produced cause pollution during runoff. It also has a negative effect on soil together with the soil microbes.
The Mechanism of the Haber ProcessThe Haber Process is a combination of Nitrogen obtained from air and methane derived hydrogen to form ammonia. The reversible process is exothermic to imply that it produces a lot of heat. The process can be summed up in the equation:
N_2(g) + 3H_2(g) catalyst 2NH_3 (g) tag{ΔH=-92.4 kJ/mol}
The Haber Process Flow-Scheme
Nitrogen extracted from air 400- 450oC
200 atm Catalyst (iron)
Hydrogen extracted from Ammonia
natural gasliquid
Conditions for the Haber ProcessTemperature
The equilibrium should be shifted to the right to enable maximum proportions of ammonia in the mixture of the equilibrium. It is weighty to note that as the forward reaction consumes a lot of energy (endothermic), the backward is exothermic. The equilibrium shift is managed when temperatures are lowered to the range of 400-450 cHowever, low temperatures slow down reactions and there is little relevance in slow production for high proportions. The gases should be in equilibrium within that the short span of catalyst contactsThe temperature stated above is one of compromise that can be used to produce large enough volumes of ammonia with high proportions.
Pressure
Increasing pressure results in reactions that favor a few molecules production. The resultant of that is a subsequent drop in pressure. To increase ammonia production, high pressures that are not less than 200 atmospheres should be engaged. High pressures push the molecules together and increase chances of the reaction with the catalysts (Smith, Richards & Newton, 2004).200 atmospheres is an economical choice for achieving temperatures above that is costly and would beat the economies of scale.
Catalyst
The amount of catalyst only serves to increase the reaction rate of the equilibrium but has no impact on the ammonia production amount. However, the exclusion of the catalyst slows up the reaction significantly (Smith, Richards & Newton, 2004).
Ammonia Separation
Gases leave the reactor at extremely high temperatures and pressure. Ammonia temperatures are lowered to enable its liquefaction under high pressure. Hydrogen and Nitrogen maintain their gaseous states even at this pressure and are subject to recycling.Oxidation of Ammonia to Nitric Acid is conducted by its mixing with air at a ratio of one part to nine parts respectively.
Ammonia Uses
Ammonia aid in various industrial processes that include fertilizer production, chemical synthesis, production of pharmaceuticals, and in refrigeration. Other uses involve cleaning and softening of pulp and paper among others (Joesten, Hogg & Casteleon, 2007).
How Haber Process Affected the Imperial Germany
Germany had become the world’s leader in chemical technology in the immediate years preceding World War I, Germany. However, with limited resources of her own, Germany relied heavily on imports from other countries, the leading of whom was Chile from which they imported nitrates (Lesch & Conference, 2000). With the tension buildup prior to the world war, Germany felt threatened at the prospect of British Marines and submarines blocking their ships and felt the necessity for the creation of their nitrate. The costs for the long shipping distance were also escalating and were beating Germany’s economy of scale. Moreover, Germany’s large-scale importation was already depleting the resource at Chile as they had consumed a third of Chile’s produced nitrate in 1913 only.The factors put together inspired the commissioning for the development of a process through which the abundant atmospheric nitrogen could be extracted for commercial use. The creation of the Haber process lasted from 1905 to 1913; the time when it was officially commercialized (Lesch & Conference, 2000).Facing challenges on how to break the allied trench guard during World War I and how to effectively fire explosives at that close range without harming Nazi soldiers, the Imperial Germany developed a strategy. Haber suggested grouped trench mortars to shoot T-stoff bombs which could not be implemented because of resource scarcity. Haber’s following suggestion involved the use of chlorine gas that devastated the allied forces.However, the Imperial Germany did not just use the Haber process for weaponry only. It was also used for fertilizer production to facilitate agriculture to ensure security of food during the war. Importation could not serve as a remedy as the British controlled the oceans (Lesch & Conference, 2000).Haber Process gave Imperial Germany dominance during the world war, serving them with victories on many fronts.
Conclusion
The Haber Process is a chemical achievement that has made milestones in setting and changing history. It cut industrial overreliance on depletable resources and changed the whole warfare factor. The Haber process has also changed the global Agricultural sector and ensure food security. The invention has had its pros and cons
References
Fullick, A., & Fullick, P. (2001). Chemistry for AQA: Coordinated award. Oxford: Heinemann.
Joesten, M. D., Hogg, J. L., & Castellion, M. E. (2007). World of chemistry: Essentials. Australia: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Lesch, J. E., & Conference on the German Chemical Industry in the Twentieth Century. (2000). The German chemical industry in the twentieth century […Conference on the German Chemical Industry in the Twentieth Century … on March 20-22, 1997, at the University of California, Berkeley…]. Dordrecht [u.a.: Kluwer Acad. Publ.
Smith, B. E., Richards, R. L., & Newton, W. E. (2004). Catalysts for nitrogen fixation: Nitrogenases, relevant chemical models, and commercial processes. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.