nitrificator
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Nasty gases with NH4NO3
Been doing this in front of others' door for a while now, but I could not figure out what it was..
I was dumping NH4NO3 beads in sodium hypoclorite solution and loads of white fumes came out with an absolutely horrible smell!
NH4NO3 + NaOCl -> ?
Did smell a BIT like chlorine, but it was a thick white smoke.
Anybody have any ideas what it could have been?
[Edited on 14-2-2010 by nitrificator]
[Edited on 14-2-2010 by nitrificator]
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User
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Gues that is ammoniumchloride.
It is know for forming dense with smoke.
What a fine day for chemistry this is.
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per.y.ohlin
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Bleach is a mixture of NaClO, NaOH, and NaCl.
NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub> + NaOH -> NH<sub>3</sub> + NaNO<sub>3</sub>
+H<sub>2</sub>O
Ammonia and bleach can react to form a number of products: NH<sub>2</sub>Cl, NHCl<sub>2</sub>, NCl<sub>3</sub>,
N<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>, and Cl<sub>2</sub>. None of these is particularly friendly. Ammonium chloride would
produce a white smoke if it formed in air, but can any of the gases produced in the reaction form ammonium chloride above the solution?
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BromicAcid
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Chloramine, dichloramine, nitrogen trichloride, hydrazine those could be some of the nasty gasses present based on concentrations, temperatures, etc.
Anything a little more quantitative than 'dumping NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub> beads in sodium hypochlorite'?
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nitrificator
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I just put solid NH4NO3 into bleach.
Thought the white smoke was NH4Cl, and I see per.y.ohlin mentioned some compounds, just that I don't know "how they smell" except chlorine and
ammonia, and ammonia wasn't present.
Well then I guess one or more of those from the list.
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woelen
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Yes, the white smoke is NH4Cl, but the smell definitely is not.
NH4NO3 firsst gives NH3 with the alkali in normal bleach. The NH3 further reacts. One reaction is
2NH3 + Cl2 --> NH4Cl + NH2Cl (white smoke + terrible smell).
Other reactions also occur, such as formation of N2 (you probably saw some bubbles of gas as well) and even N2H4, according to the following reaction:
NH2Cl + NH3 --> N2H4.HCl (also white smoke, somewhat like ammonium chloride, but not hydrazine being the base).
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