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CHEMISTRY LEVEL 3


1. GAS LAWS
2. THE MOLE: Formulae and Chemical Equations
3. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1
4. NITROGEN AND ITS COMPOUNDS
5. SULPHUR AND ITS COMPOUNDS
6. CHLORINE AND ITS COMPOUNDS
7. A guide to chemical tests based on this module
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Nitrogen and its Compounds: Industrial manufacture of nitric (V) acid

4.0 Nitrogen and its Compounds


4.5.2 Industrial manufacture of nitric (V) acid

Questions 4.5.2(a)

  1. Name and state the formula of the gas that can be dissolved in water to form aqueous nitric (V) acid.
  2. Consider the reactions represented by the two equations that follow. Both can produce nitric (V) acid.
    I. 4NH3(g) + 5O2(g) Ptatinum catalyst = 6H2O(g) + 4NO(g)
    II. KNO3(s) + H2SO4(l) = KHSO4(s) + HNO3(g)

  3. How can you proceed to produce aqueous (dilute) nitric (V) acid from Reaction I?


  4. Which of the two reactions I and II would you recommend for industrial manufacture of nitric (V) acid, whether pure or aqueous? Explain your choice.

Answers to Questions 4.5.2(a)


Ostwald,s Process: Industrial manufacture of nitric acid

Raw materials: Ammonia (NH3), air (oxygen) and water. Catalyst: Platinum.


Ostwald’s process of manufacturing nitric acid,nitrogen and its compounds,high school chemistry

Figure 4.5.2: Ostwald,s process of manufacturing nitric acid


Questions 4.5.2(b)

  1. Suggest two reasons why the raw materials are first purified to remove dust and other impurities.
  2. From the diagram, outline the major steps involved in the industrial manufacture of nitric (V) acid.
  3. Nitric (V) acid produced by this method is a mixture of 65% acid and 35% water by volume. Suggest how the water would be removed to obtain concentrated (100%) nitric (V) acid.
  4. Nitric (V) acid is produced in millions of metric tons per year. Determine the mass of (a) hydrogen (b) oxygen, and (c) nitrogen that make up 63 tons of concentrated nitric acid. (H = 1; N = 14; O = 16.)

Answers to Questions 4.5.2(b)