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The Haber Process

The Haber process produces ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Hydrogen is obtained from methane or oil, while nitrogen comes from burning hydrogen in air. The gases are combined at high temperature and pressure in the presence of an iron catalyst to form ammonia, with the reaction being reversible. The main stages are extraction of the gases and their combination to make ammonia using iron as a catalyst.

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1K views1 page

The Haber Process

The Haber process produces ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Hydrogen is obtained from methane or oil, while nitrogen comes from burning hydrogen in air. The gases are combined at high temperature and pressure in the presence of an iron catalyst to form ammonia, with the reaction being reversible. The main stages are extraction of the gases and their combination to make ammonia using iron as a catalyst.

Uploaded by

griggans
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Haber process

The raw materials for this process are hydrogen and nitrogen. Hydrogen is
obtained by reacting natural gas (methane) with steam, or from the cracking
of oil. Nitrogen is obtained by burning hydrogen in air. Air consists of 80%
nitrogen, and nearly all the rest is oxygen; when hydrogen is burned in air, the
oxygen combines with the hydrogen, leaving nitrogen behind.

Nitrogen and hydrogen will react together under these conditions:

• a high temperature of about 450°C


• a high pressure of about 200 atmospheres (two hundred times normal
pressure)
• an iron catalyst

The reaction is reversible.

nitrogen + hydrogen ammonia


N2(g) + 3H2(g) 2NH3(g)

The flow chart shows the main stages in the Haber process: extraction of
hydrogen, extraction of nitrogen, and combination of hydrogen and nitrogen to
make ammonia, with iron as a catalyst.

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