Ammonium chloride
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| Ammonium chloride | |
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| IUPAC name | Ammonium chloride |
| Identifiers | |
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| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | NH4Cl |
| Molar mass | 53.49 g/mol |
| Appearance | White solid |
| Density | 1.527 g/cm3 |
| Melting point |
338 °C (sublimes) |
| Solubility in water | 29.7 g/100 g water at 0 °C |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references | |
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Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) (also Sal Ammoniac, salmiac, nushadir salt, zalmiak, sal armagnac, sal armoniac, salmiakki, salmiak and salt armoniack) is, in its pure form, a clear white water-soluble crystalline salt of ammonia. The aqueous ammonium chloride solution is mildly acidic.
History
The modern name "ammonium" comes from sal ammoniac. The substance was known as nushadir salt (Arabic and Persian: نشادر) in Arabic-speaking countries and Persia, naosha (Chinese: 硇砂; pinyin: náoshā) in China, nao sadar in India. The Romans called the ammonium chloride deposits they collected from near the Temple of Jupiter Amun (Greek Ἄμμων Ammon) in ancient Libya 'sal ammoniacus' (salt of Amun) because of proximity to the nearby temple[1].
It was considered one of the four alchemical "spirits".[citation needed] While the way that it dissociates into two corrosive materials (ammonia and hydrochloric acid) which attack metals convinced some eager alchemists that it might hold the key to converting one metal to another, Arabs used it[citation needed] as a source of ammonia:
- 2NH4Cl + 2CaO → CaCl2 + Ca(OH)2 + 2NH3
Sources
In nature, the substance occurs in volcanic regions, forming on volcanic rocks near fume-releasing vents. The crystals deposit directly from the gaseous state, and tend to be short-lived, as they dissolve easily in water.
Ammonium chloride is prepared commercially by reacting ammonia (NH3) with hydrogen chloride (HCl):
- NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl
Applications
Ammonium chloride is sold in blocks at hardware stores for use in cleaning the tip of a soldering iron and can also be included in solder as flux.
Other uses include a feed supplement for cattle, in hair shampoo, in textile printing, in the glue that bonds plywood, as an ingredient in nutritive media for yeast, in cleaning products, and as cough medicine. Its expectorant action is caused by irritative action on the bronchial mucosa. This causes the production of excess respiratory tract fluid which presumably is easier to cough up. It is also used in an oral acid loading test to diagnose distal renal tubular acidosis.
Ammonium chloride is used in snow treatment, namely on ski slopes at temperatures above 0 °C, to harden the snow and slow its melting.[1]
In several countries sal ammoniac is used to spice up liquorice-type dark candies (Finland's salmiakki, Sweden's lakrisal, the Netherlands' zoute drop and the Danish Dracula Piller are popular examples), and as a flavoring for vodkas.
Ammonium chloride is used as an expectorant, diuretic and systemic acidifying agent. It is used in the treatment of severe metabolic alkalosis, to maintain the urine at an acid pH in the treatment of some urinary-tract disorders or in forced acid diuresis.
Ammonium salts are an irritant to the gastric mucosa and may induce nausea and vomiting.
See also
References
bg:Амониев хлорид ca:Salmiac cs:Salmiak da:Ammoniumklorid de:Ammoniumchloridfa:نشادر fr:Chlorure d'ammonium it:Cloruro d'ammonio ku:Ammonîyûmklorîd nl:Salmiak ja:塩化アンモニウム no:Salmiakk nn:Ammoniumkloridsk:Chlorid amónny sr:Амонијум хлорид fi:Ammoniumkloridi sv:Ammoniumklorid th:แอมโมเนียมคลอไรด์
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
