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How is ammonia converted into nitric acid?

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A labeled diagram of a periodic table entry for nitrogen shows its atomic number 7, symbol N, electron configuration, atomic weight, and name. Symbols indicate nitrogen is a nonmetal gas at room temperature, has a hexagonal crystal structure, and strongly acidic higher-valence oxides. A key explains the diagram's icons and color coding.
nitrogen

The primary industrial method for converting ammonia into nitric acid is the Ostwald process, developed by the German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald in 1901.1

The conversion involves the following steps:

  • Catalytic Oxidation: Ammonia gas is oxidized by air or oxygen in the presence of a platinum (often alloyed with rhodium) gauze catalyst.21
  • Formation of Oxides: This reaction successively oxidizes the ammonia into nitric oxide and then into nitrogen dioxide.1
  • Absorption: The nitrogen dioxide is absorbed in water to produce nitric acid.21

The resulting solution typically contains 50–70 percent acid by weight, which can be further concentrated through distillation with sulfuric acid.1