Ammonia VOLUME

Catalytic gas-phase reactions play an important role in many bulk chemical processes, such as in the production of methanol, ammonia, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid. In most processes, the effective area of the catalyst is critically important. Since these reactions take place at surfaces through processes of adsorption and desorption, any alteration of surface area naturally causes a change in the rate of reaction. Industrial catalysts are usually supported on porous materials, since this results in a much larger active area per unit of reactor volume. 

Gay[Pg.188]

Ammonia may be estimated by dissolving the gas in a known volume of standard acid and then back-titrating the excess acid. In a method widely used for the determination of basic nitrogen in organic substances (the Kjeldahl method), the nitrogenous material is converted into ammonium sulphate by heating with concentrated sulphuric acid. The ammonia is then driven off by the action of alkali and absorbed in standard acid. 

Boil a mixture of 5 ml. (4 g.) of acetonitrile and 75 ml. of 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in a 200 ml. flask under a refluxwater-condenser for 30 minutes, when hydrolysis will be complete. Detach the condenser and boil the solution in the open flask for a few minutes to drive off ull free ammonia. Then cool the solution, and add dilute sulphuric acid (i volume of concentrated acid 2 volumes of water)... 

Gently warm a mixture of 32 g. (32 ml.) of ethyl acetoacetate and 10 g. of aldehyde-ammonia in a 400 ml. beaker by direct heating on a gauze, stirring the mixture carefully with a thermometer. As soon as the reaction starts, remove the heating, and replace it when the reaction slackens, but do not allow the temperature of the mixture to exceed 100-no the reaction is rapidly completed. Add to the mixture about twice its volume of 2A -hydrochloric acid, and stir the mass until the deposit either becomes solid or forms a thick paste, according to the quality of the aldehyde-ammonia employed. Decant the aqueous acid layer, repeat the extraction of the deposit with more acid, and again decant the acid, or filter off the deposit if it is solid. Transfer the deposit to a conical flask and recrystallise it twice from ethanol (or methylated spirit) diluted with an equal volume of water. The i,4-dihydro-collidine-3,5-dicarboxylic diethyl ester (I) is obtained as colourless crystals, m.p. 130-131°. Yield 12 5 g,... 

Ammonia is conveniently obtained from a cylinder of the Uquefled gas the cylinder must be equipped with a reducing valve. The rate of flow of the gas may be determined by passage through a bubble counter containing a small volume of concentrated potassium hydroxide solution (12 g. of KOH in 12 ml. of water). A safety bottle should be inserted between the cylinder and the reaction vessel. 

Mix 50 ml. of formalin, containing about 37 per cent, of formaldehyde, with 40 ml. of concentrated ammonia solution (sp. gr. 0- 88) in a 200 ml. round-bottomed flask. Insert a two-holed cork or rubber stopper carrying a capillary tube drawn out at the lower end (as for vacuum distillation) and reaching almost to the bottom of the flask, and also a short outlet tube connected through a filter flask to a water pump. Evaporate the contents of the flask as far as possible on a water bath under reduced pressure. Add a further 40 ml. of concentrated ammonia solution and repeat the evaporation. Attach a reflux condenser to the flask, add sufficient absolute ethyl alcohol (about 100 ml.) in small portions to dissolve most of the residue, heat under reflux for a few minutes and filter the hot alcoholic extract, preferably through a hot water fuimel (all flames in the vicinity must be extinguished). When cold, filter the hexamine, wash it with a little absolute alcohol, and dry in the air. The yield is 10 g. Treat the filtrate with an equal volume of dry ether and cool in ice. A fiulher 2 g. of hexamine is obtained. 

It is preferable to use Tollen s ammoniacal silver nitrate reagent, which is prepared as follows Dissolve 3 g. of silver nitrate in 30 ml. of water (solution A) and 3 g. of sodium hydroxide in 30 ml. of water (solution B). When the reagent is requir, mix equal volumes (say, 1 ml.) of solutions A and JB in a clean test-tube, and add dilute ammonia solution drop by drop until the silver oxide is just dissolved. Great care must be taken in the preparation and use of this reagent, which must not be heated. Only a small volume should be prepared just before use, any residue washed down the sink with a large quantity of water, and the test-tubes rinsed with dilute nitric acid. 

Place 125 ml. of concentrated ammonia solution (sp. gr. 0-88) in a 600 ml. beaker and surround the latter with crushed ice. Stir the ammonia solution mechanically, and introduce the n-caproyl chloride slowly by means of a suitably supported separatory funnel with bent stem. The rate of addition must be adjusted so that no white fumes are lost. The amide separates immediately. Allow to stand in the ice water for 15 minutes after all the acid chloride has been introduced. Filter oflF the amide at the pump use the flltrate to assist the transfer of any amide remaining in the beaker to the Alter (2). Spread the amide on sheets of Alter or drying paper to dry in the air. The crude n-capro-amide (30 g.) has m.p. 98-99° and is sufficiently pure for conversion into the nitrile (Section 111,112) (3). Recrystallise a small quantity of the amide by dissolving it in the minimum volume of hot water and allowing the solution to cool dry on filter paper in the air. Pure n-caproamide has m.p. 100°. 

Dissolve 180 g. of commercial ammonium carbonate in 150 ml. of warm water (40-50°) in a 700 ml. flask. Cool to room temperature and add 200 ml. of concentrated ammonia solution (sp. gr. 0 88). Introduce slowly, with swirling of the contents of the flask, a solution of 50 g. of chloroacetic acid (Section 111,125) in 50 ml. of water [CAUTION do not allow chloroacetic acid to come into contact with the skin as unpleasant burns will result]. Close the flask with a solid rubber stopper and fix a thin copper wire to hold the stopper in place do not moisten the portion of the stopper in contact with the glass as this lubrication will cause the stopper to slide out of the flask. Allow the flask to stand for 24-48 hours at room temperature. Transfer the mixture to a distilling flask and distil in a closed apparatus until the volume is reduced to 100-110 ml. A convenient arrangement is to insert a drawn-out capillary tube into the flask, attach a Liebig s condenser, the lower end of which fits into a filter flask (compare Fig.//, 1) and connect the... 

Heat a mixture of 15 g. of p-nitroacetanilide and 75 ml. of 70 per cent, sulphuric acid (1) under a reflux water condenser for 20-30 minutes or until a test sample remains clear upon dilution with 2-3 times its volume of water. The p-nitroaniline is now present in the hquid as the sulphate. Pour the clear hot solution into 500 ml. of cold water and precipitate the p-nitroanihne by adding excess of 10 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution or of concentrated ammonia solution. When cold (cool the mixture in ice water, if necessary), filter the yellow crystalline precipitate at the pump, wash it well with water, and drain thoroughly. Recrystallise it from a mixture of equal volumes of rectified (or methylated) spirit and water or from hot water. Filter, wash and dry. The yield of p-nitroanihne, m.p, 148°, is 11 g. 

Hydrolysis of p-tolunitrile to p-toluic acid. Boil a mixture of 5 g. of p-tolunitrile, 80 ml. of 10 per cent, aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and 15 ml. of alcohol under a reflux condenser. (The alcohol is added to prevent the nitrile, which volatUises in the steam, from crystalhsing in the condenser it also increases the speed of hydrolysis. The alcohol may be omitted in the hydrolysis of nitriles which are hquid at the ordinary temperature, e.g., benzo-nitrUe.) The solution becomes clear after heating for about 1 hour, but continue the boiling for a total period of 1 - 5 hours to ensure complete hydrolysis. Detach the condenser and boil the solution for a few minutes in the open flask to remove dissolved ammonia and incidentally some of the alcohol CAUTION /). Cool, and add concentrated hydrochloric acid until precipitation of the p-toluic acid is complete. When cold, filter off the p-toluic acid with suction and wash with a little cold water. Recrystallise from a mixture of equal volumes of water and alcohol (methylated spirit) or from benzene. The yield of p-toluic acid, m.p. 178°, is 5-5 g. 

Dissolve 5 g. of finely-powdered diazoaminobenzene (Section IV,81) in 12-15 g. of aniline in a small flask and add 2-5 g. of finely-powdered aniline hydrochloride (1). Warm the mixture, with frequent shaking, on a water bath at 40-45° for 1 hour. Allow the reaction mixture to stand for 30 minutes. Then add 15 ml. of glacial acetic acid diluted with an equal volume of water stir or shake the mixture in order to remove the excess of anihne in the form of its soluble acetate. Allow the mixture to stand, with frequent shaking, for 15 minutes filter the amino-azobenzene at the pump, wash with a little water, and dry upon filter paper Recrystallise the crude p-amino-azobenzene (3-5 g. m.p. 120°) from 15-20 ml. of carbon tetrachloride to obtain the pure compound, m.p. 125°. Alternatively, the compound may be recrystaUised from dilute alcohol, to which a few drops of concentrated ammonia solution have been added. 

To recover the free base, dissolve the hydrochloride in the minimum volume of boiling alcohol, add concentrated ammonia solution dropwise until a clear solution results and the blue colour has become fight brown. Add water carefully untU a cloudiness appears, warm on a water bath untU the cloudiness just disappears, and allow to cool. Yellow crystals of p-amino-azobenzene separate on coofing. 

Phthalide. In a 1 litre bolt-head flask stir 90 g. of a high quality zinc powder to a thick paste with a solution of 0 5 g. of crystallised copper sulphate in 20 ml. of water (this serves to activate the zinc), and then add 165 ml. of 20 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution. Cool the flask in an ice bath to 5°, stir the contents mechanically, and add 73-5 g. of phthalimide in small portions at such a rate that the temperature does not rise above 8° (about 30 minutes are required for the addition). Continue the stirring for half an hour, dilute with 200 ml. of water, warm on a water bath imtil the evolution of ammonia ceases (about 3 hours), and concentrate to a volume of about 200 ml. by distillation vmder reduced pressure (tig. 11,37, 1). Filter, and render the flltrate acid to Congo red paper with concentrated hydrochloric acid (about 75 ml. are required). Much of the phthalide separates as an oil, but, in order to complete the lactonisation of the hydroxymethylbenzoic acid, boil for an hour transfer while hot to a beaker. The oil solidifles on cooling to a hard red-brown cake. Leave overnight in an ice chest or refrigerator, and than filter at the pump. The crude phthalide contains much sodium chloride. RecrystaUise it in 10 g. portions from 750 ml. of water use the mother liquor from the first crop for the recrystaUisation of the subsequent portion. Filter each portion while hot, cool in ice below 5°, filter and wash with small quantities of ice-cold water. Dry in the air upon filter paper. The yield of phthalide (transparent plates), m.p. 72-73°, is 47 g. 

If much liquid ammonia is lost during the preparation of the sodamide, the volume should be m e up to 500-600 ml. before adding the y picoline. 

Sodium acetyllde. Replace the ammonia - addition tube by a wide tube reaching almost to the bottom of the flask (or use the device depicted in Fig. II, 7, 12, b) and pass acetylene (Fig. VI, 16, 1, c) into the suspension of sodamide in liquid ammonia maintain the bath temperature at about — 35° so that little ammonia is lost. Continue the passage of acetylene until a uniformly black liquid is formed (usually 4r-5 hours) (7). Carefully watch the wide gas entry tube if much solid collects inside this tube, remove it before the tube is completely blocked. Add liquid ammonia, if necessary, to restore the original volume (ca. 3 5 litres). 

Phenylacetylene. Support a 5-litre glass Dewar flask in a wooden case. Equip the flask with a lid of clear Perspex, provided with suitable apertures for a mechanical stirrer, introducing solids (e.g., sodium) or hquids, a calibrated dip stick for measuring the volume of liquid in the Dewar vessel, a gas mlet tube and an ammonia inlet arrange for an electric light to shine downwards into the flask. 

Cool the flask in ice, acidify with 10 ml. of cold 1 1-hydro-chloric acid and distil under reduced pressure (water pump) until most of the alcohol is removed. Add water to the residue, extract several times with ether, wash the combined ethereal extracts with N ammonia solution until a test portion gives no precipitate upon acidification. Extract the combined alkahne solutions once with a fresh portion of ether, and add the aqueous solution to an excess of dilute hydrochloric acid the final mixture should still be acidic to Congo red. Collect the crystalhne half-ester by filtration at the pump, wash it with water and dry at 100°. The yield is 14-5 g., m.p. 122-125°. Recrystallise by dissolving in about 40 ml. of warm benzene and adding an equal volume of petroleum ether (b.p. 40- 60°) 13 -5 g. of the colourless half-ester, m.p. 125-126°, are obtained. 

The amount of metal required gives an indication of the water content. note 3. If the conversion takes longer, add some liquid ammonia to keep the volume of the suspension between 500 and 800 ml. iinte 4. The conversion of lithium and potassium into the alkali amides has never given problems. 

The density of concentrated ammonia, which is 28.0% w/w NH3, is 0.899 g/mL. What volume of this reagent should be diluted... 

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