Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How is ammonium nitrate made from ammonia and nitric acid?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
ammonia
Ammonia and amines have a slightly flattened trigonal pyramidal shape with a lone pair of electrons above the nitrogen. In quaternary ammonium ions, this area is occupied by a fourth substituent.
Ammonium nitrate () is produced through the neutralization reaction of ammonia with nitric acid.12
In this chemical process, nitric acid is treated with ammonia to form the salt known as ammonium nitrate. Industrially, this is often carried out in facilities that produce both components, allowing for the efficient synthesis and processing of the final product into specific grain sizes suitable for use as fertilizer.32
Because ammonium nitrate is a highly soluble crystalline substance that can undergo explosive decomposition when heated in confined spaces, its production, storage, and shipment are subject to strict government regulations to ensure safety.1