Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is one of the primary nutrients critical for the survival of all living organisms. It is a necessary component of
many biomolecules, including proteins, DNA, and chlorophyll. Although nitrogen is very abundant in the atmosphere as
dinitrogen gas (N2), it is largely inaccessible in this form to most organisms, making nitrogen a scarce resource and often
limiting primary productivity in many ecosystems. Only when nitrogen is converted from dinitrogen gas into ammonia
(NH3) does it become available to primary producers, such as plants.

In addition to N2 and NH3, nitrogen exists in many different forms, including both inorganic (e.g., ammonia, nitrate) and
organic (e.g., amino and nucleic acids) forms. Thus, nitrogen undergoes many different transformations in the ecosystem,
changing from one form to another as organisms use it for growth and, in some cases, energy. The major transformations
of nitrogen are nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, anammox, and ammonification. The transformation of
nitrogen into its many oxidation states is key to productivity in the biosphere and is highly dependent on the activities of
a diverse assemblage of microorganisms, such as bacteria, archaea, and fungi.
The Nitrogen Cycle
Manufacture of Ammonia by Haber’s process
 Process Description

1. In the Haber process, nitrogen gas from the air and combine with hydrogen atom obtained from natural gas in the
ratio 1:3 by volume.
2.The gases are passed through four beds of catalyst, with cooling takes place in each pass. This is done to maintain
equilibrium constant.
3.While different levels of conversion occur in each pass where unreacted gases are recycled.
4.Normally an iron catalyst is used in the process, and the whole procedure is conducted by maintaining a temperature
of around 400 – 450oC and a pressure of 150 – 200 atm.
5.The process also involves steps like shift conversion, carbon dioxide removal, steam reforming, and methanation.
6.In the final stage of the process, the ammonia gas is cooled down to form a liquid solution which is then collected and
stored in storage containers.
Modern production process of ammonia
Nitric Acid

Uses

 78% for ammonium nitrate of which

- 80% is for fertilizers

- 19% is for explosives

- 1% is for N2O

 9% for adipic acid (fiber and plastics precursor)

 3.5% for dinitotoluene.

Methods of Production
 Ammonia oxidation process (Ostwald’s process)
 ARC Process (BIRKLAND and EYDE process)
 NaNO3 +H2SO4 process
Fig: Nitric Acid production by Ammonia oxidation process.
BIRKLAND and EYDE process