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CHEMISTRY Using Our Resources CHEMISTRY

The document discusses the properties and uses of various alloys, including brass, bronze, and different types of steel, highlighting their applications in everyday materials. It also covers the Haber process for ammonia production, the manufacturing of NPK fertilizers, and the preparation of ammonium sulfate in both lab and industrial settings. Additionally, it describes the characteristics of ceramics, composites, and different types of polymers, emphasizing their structural properties and applications.

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Harrison Grover
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10 views4 pages

CHEMISTRY Using Our Resources CHEMISTRY

The document discusses the properties and uses of various alloys, including brass, bronze, and different types of steel, highlighting their applications in everyday materials. It also covers the Haber process for ammonia production, the manufacturing of NPK fertilizers, and the preparation of ammonium sulfate in both lab and industrial settings. Additionally, it describes the characteristics of ceramics, composites, and different types of polymers, emphasizing their structural properties and applications.

Uploaded by

Harrison Grover
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Using our resources – Chapter 15

Alloys as useful materials


Most metals in everyday use are alloys
Brass is made by mixing copper with zinc
Bronze is made by mixing copper with tin.
Gold can be made harder by adding other elements. Gold is usually alloyed with copper when it is used to make
jewellery. The purity of gold can be expressed in carats, where 24 carat gold is almost pure gold. If you divide the
carat number by 24 you will get the fraction of gold in the jewellery. Therefore an 18-carat gold ring will contain ¾ or
75% gold.

Steels are alloys of iron with carbon and/or other elements. The simplest steels are carbon steels which are made
my removing most of the carbon from the iron obtained from a blast furnace and the carbon content decreases from
about 4% to 0.03%.

High carbon steels with a relatively high carbon content are very strong but brittle. Low carbon steels are soft and
easily shaped but are not as strong.

Steels made with 1-5% of other metals are more expensive than carbon steels. Each of these metals produce a steel
that is suited for a particular use:

1. Nickel steel alloys are used to make long-span bridges and bicycle chains because they are very resistant to
stretching forces
2. Tungsten steel operates well under very hot conditions, so it is used to make high speed tools such as drill
bits

Steels that contain a much higher percentage of other metals are even more expensive e.g.:

1. Chromium–nickel steels are known as stainless steels. They combine hardness and strength and have great
resistance to corrosion. They are used in cooking utensils

There are over 300 aluminium alloys available. Aluminium alloys have very different properties. They are lightweight
but strong and are used to build aircrafts and for armour.
The Haber Process
The Haber process is used to manufacture ammonia, which can be used to produce nitrogen-based fertilisers.
Nitrogen gas can be harvested from the air and the hydrogen gas can be obtained from natural gas deposits.

Here are the steps of the Haber process:


1. Hydrogen and nitrogen gases are pumped in
2. The nitrogen / hydrogen is compressed to a pressure of 200atm and heated to 450C
3. The gases pass through reaction vessel containing an iron catalyst
4. The mixture of gases emerging from the reactor is sent to a cooling chamber and is cooled, ammonia then
liquefies and is separated
5. Any unreacted nitrogen and hydrogen are returned to the reaction vessel via the compressor (this helps to
reduce waste)

The effect of temperature, pressure, and catalyst on the equilibrium, yield and the rate
N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇌ 2NH3(g)
Higher pressure shifts the equilibrium to the right which increases the yield while also increasing the rate of
reaction. However, it can be expensive and not always economically viable.
Adding a catalyst speed up the rate of the reaction by decreasing the activation energy required(which means that
the ammonia is to be produced more quickly). However, it has no affect on the yield or the equilibrium.
Increasing the temperature would increase the rate of reaction but would shift the equilibrium to the left and
decrease the yield. WHEREAS. Decreasing the temperature shifts the equilibrium to the right and increases the
yield but it would decrease the rate of reaction.
This means that a compromise is required.
Typical conditions for the reaction of hydrogen and nitrogen are 200 atmospheres of
pressure, at 450C, over an iron catalyst.

Production and use of NPK fertilisers


NPK fertilisers are formulations which contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compounds to promote plant
growth.
Ammonia can be used to manufacture ammonium salts and nitric acid.
Potassium chloride, Potassium sulphate and phosphate rock are obtained by mining, but phosphate rock cannot be
used directly as a fertiliser. Phosphate rock is treated with nitric acid, phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid to produce
soluble salts that can be used as fertilisers.
When phosphate rock is treated with nitric acid you can produce phosphoric acid and the salt calcium nitrate.
Phosphoric acid can then be neutralised with ammonia to produce the salt ammonium phosphate.
If phosphate rock is treated with sulfuric acid, you make calcium sulphate and calcium phosphate and the mixture
is known as 'single super phosphate'.
If phosphate rock is treated with phosphoric acid, you produce triple superphosphate (calcium phosphate).
Fertiliser compounds must be soluble in water so they can be absorbed by the root hair cells:
 ammonium ions, NH4+, and nitrate ions, NO3-, are sources of soluble nitrogen
 phosphate ions, PO43-, are a source of soluble phosphorus
 all common potassium compounds dissolve in water to produce potassium ions, K+

Making Fertilisers in the lab: ammonium sulphate


Ammonium sulphate can be made in the lab using dilute ammonia solution and dilute sulfuric acid:

ammonia + sulfuric acid → ammonium sulphate


2NH3(aq) + H2SO4(aq) → (NH4)2SO4(aq)
Method:

1. Put some dilute sulfuric acid into a beaker.


2. Add a few drops of methyl orange indicator.
3. Add dilute ammonia solution drop by drop, stirring in between.
4. Continue step 3 until the colour permanently changes from red to
yellow.
5. Pour the reaction mixture into an evaporating basin, and heat carefully over a boiling water bath.
6. Stop heating before all the water has evaporated and leave aside for crystals to form.
7. pour away excess water and leave the crystals to dry in a warm oven, or pat dry with filter paper
Eye protection must be worn.

The industrial production of Fertilisers: ammonium sulphate


The industrial production of ammonium sulphate happens on a much larger scale than its production in the lab. A
fertiliser factory often begins with the raw materials needed to make ammonia and sulfuric acid, rather than
buying these two reactants from elsewhere. Several stages are needed.

The lab preparation of ammonium sulphate is a ‘batch’ process. A small amount of product is made slowly at any
one time, and the apparatus cleaned ready to make another batch.

The industrial production of ammonium sulphate is a ‘continuous’ process. The product is made quickly all the
time, as long as raw materials are provided.
Ceramics, polymers and composites
Soda lime glass
Made by mixing Sand (SiO2), limestone (CaCO3), Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3). It requires heat at 1500C
Soda lime makes up about 90% of all glass

Borosilicate Glass
Made by mixing Sand (SiO2) and boron trioxide (B2O3)
Has a higher melting point than soda lime glass – it is used for cookware and glassware

Ceramics
Ceramics are a complex mixture of metal and mental compounds (aluminium and potassium silicates and water)
Form giant structures
When wet layers/ions can move – the clay is mouldable
When dry crystalline, ions cannot move. It is then hard, brittle and chemically resistant while also being an electrical
insulator.

Composites
Composites are made from 2 or more materials
1. fibres/fragments of one
2. and it is bound by a matrix the other
it leads to improved properties.
Examples of composites include:
 Glass ceramic
 MDF – sawdust and resin
 Reinforced concrete
 Carbon fibre composites

Thermosetting and Thermosoftening polymers


Thermosoftening polymers:
Weak intermolecular forces between polymer chains
Soften/melt when heated

Thermosetting polymers:
Strong covalent bonds between polymer chains due to the cross links
Does not melt when heated

Low and high density poly(ethene)


Low density Poly(ethene):
Made with a little oxygen and very high pressure.
Has branched chains – chains further apart
Lower density
Lower melting point

High density poly(ethene):


Made with slight pressure, 50C temperature and a catalyst
Has straight chains – chains closer together
Higher density
Higher melting point
Stronger

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