Annual production, commercial explosives

The demand for nitrogen in a chemically fixed form (as opposed to elemental nitrogen gas) drives a huge international industry that encompasses the production of seven key chemical nitrogen products ammonia, urea, nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, nitrogen solutions, ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphates. Such nitrogen products had a total worldwide annual commercial value of about US 50 billion in 1996. The cornerstone of this industry is ammonia. Virtually all ammonia is produced in anhydrous form via the Haber process (as described in Chapter 2). Anhydrous ammonia is the basic raw material in a host of applications and in the manufacture of fertilizers, livestock feeds, commercial and military explosives, polymer intermediates, and miscellaneous chemicals35. 

Ammonia is a natural compound, as well as a manufactured compound. In nature, most ammonia probably comes from decomposing animal excreta, with the decay of organic materials from plants, dead animals, and the like also contributing significant amounts. It is also exhaled by animals. Production of fixed nitrogen (NH3) by plants and microorganisms is estimated at 90-130 metric tons annually. Manufacture of ammonia within the United States was 9.5 million metric tons in 2001, which is down from 16.6 million metric tons in 1999. Commercially produced ammonia is used primarily as fertilizer, with plastics, synthetic fibers and resins, explosives, and other uses accounting for most of the remainder. 

Nitrophenol isomers are used primarily as intermediates for the production of dyes, pigments, preservatives, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and rubber chemicals. Nitrophenol may also be inadvertently produced by microbial or photodegradation of pesticides that contain the nitrophenol moiety. Approximately 6800 metric tons of 2-nitrophenol are produced annually in the USA compared with " 19,000 metric tons for 4-nitrophenol. Although production data for 3-nitrophenol are not available, the amount is probably <500 metric tons. Of the six possible isomers of dinitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol is the most important commercially. It is used as an intermediate in the production of dyes, explosives, wood preservatives, and photochemicals. Current output now exceeds 500 metric tons per year. Production data for the remaining isomers of dinitrbphenol are not available. 

The main commercial uses of nitric acid are in the production of fertilizers and explosives. Over a million tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer is produced annually by the reaction between ammonia and nitric acid. 

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