Nitric acid is manufactured industrially using the Ostwald process. The process involves reacting ammonia and oxygen gas over a platinum or rhodium catalyst at high temperatures and pressures to produce nitric oxide. The nitric oxide further reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide, which then reacts with water to produce nitric acid and nitric oxide in a cycle. The nitric acid is separated through distillation. One major use of nitric acid is in producing ammonium nitrate for nitrogen-based fertilizers.

1. NITRIC ACID, HNO3

2. OSTWALD PROCESS
• Ostwald process is the industrial process used to
manufacture nitric acid on a large scale.
• Conditions:
i. Temperature = 850 - 900o
C
ii. Pressure = 5 atm
iii. Catalyst = Platinum and Rhodium
iv. Raw materials = Ammonia and oxygen gas
4NH3(g) + 5O2(g) 4NO(g) + 6H2O(g)
• Hot copper wire also can catalyze the reaction.

3. • In the next step, the NO reacts with oxygen to
produce NO2.
2NO(g) + O2(g) 2NO2(g)
Then, NO2(g) reacts with water to produce
nitric acid (HNO3) and NO. The nitric acid is
separated by distillation, and the NO can be
recycled through reaction .
3NO2(g) + H2O(l) 2HNO3(aq) + NO(g)

4. Uses of nitric acid
•To produce ammonium nitrate,
one of the most important is to
forms nitrogen fertilizers.
3NH3(g) + HNO3(l) 2NH4NO3(s)

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