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Why must carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide be removed before ammonia synthesis?
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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.
In the Haber-Bosch process, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide must be carefully removed before ammonia synthesis because they act as catalyst poisons.12
In this industrial process, a catalyst—typically made from iron—is used to enable the reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen at practical temperatures. Any compound containing oxygen, such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, reduces the effectiveness of this catalyst by accumulating on its surface. By removing these impurities, the efficiency and longevity of the catalyst are maintained, ensuring the process remains economically viable for large-scale production.4312