As technology advances and new synthetic chemicals and materials emerge, we sometimes forget the “tried and true” things that got us to where we are today. For example, something as simple as ammonia or NH3 is still important today. From fertilizers to cleaners, to the industrial ammonia refrigeration system, this compound is still serving many purposes in the 21st Century. Let’s take a closer look at ammonia to discover some good things about it.
Hydrogen and Nitrogen
When you combine hydrogen and oxygen, you get water. Combine hydrogen with nitrogen, and you have ammonia or NH3. It’s a natural gas with a pungent odor. To create ammonia, you need a source for hydrogen. Some processes use natural gas while others use water electrolysis methods to get the hydrogen they need. The supply of NH3 is almost limitless, and this is one of the reasons it has so many uses today, including industrial ammonia refrigeration system applications.
Cleaning
Today’s modern chemicals can clean many things, but few can match the power of natural ammonia. In fact, as little as five percent ammonia in a cleaning solution makes it very effective. When you mix NH3 with water, the water gets wetter and easily absorbs into many kinds of stains. Normally, water beads up and rolls off things, especially greasy surfaces. By adding ammonia, water can soak into particles of grime and dirt and dissolve them. In fact, it mixes oils and grease into an emulsion, and this turns them into soap.
Refrigeration
Without ammonia, an industrial ammonia refrigeration system would not be as efficient. NH3 is more efficient than refrigerants like R-22 and R134a. In fact, NH3 was one of the first refrigerants used many years ago. Also, NH3 is environmentally friendly and doesn’t do damage to the ozone layer. Its strong odor simplifies leak detection.
